In 1984, after some 15 years flying mostly single-engine Cessnas and a Mooney 231, I bought a three-year-old Cessna 340 to handle my increasing number of business trips. I had noticed the 340’s autopilot did not always engage properly; the button was a little sticky and sometimes I had to push it pretty hard to get it to work. One business trip had me in Princeton, N.J., on a day with a low overcast. During the meeting, I kept looking out the window at the sky as the ceiling lowered below my comfort minimums.
Verified
Key Takeaways:
A pilot experienced a near-fatal incident after taking off in poor weather for a business trip, mistakenly believing his faulty autopilot had engaged and letting go of controls at low altitude.
The experience underscores the critical importance of always visually and manually confirming autopilot engagement and never fully trusting automated systems, as they can fail.
The author advises non-professional pilots to avoid flying for business, as external pressures can lead to unsafe decisions regarding weather and fatigue.
In 1984, after some 15 years flying mostly single-engine Cessnas and a Mooney 231, I bought a three-year-old Cessna 340 to handle my increasing number of business trips. I had noticed the 340’s autopilot did not always engage properly; the button was a little sticky and sometimes I had to push it pretty hard to get it to work.
288
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
