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.
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Key Takeaways:
A pilot experienced a near-fatal incident when, flying under business pressure in poor weather, he attempted to engage a known-sticky autopilot button, inadvertently leaving his aircraft uncontrolled in a steep bank shortly after takeoff.
He successfully recovered the aircraft from a dangerous low-altitude maneuver, realizing the autopilot had never engaged, an experience that left a lasting impact on him.
The incident serves as a critical lesson against non-professional pilots making poor decisions due to business pressure and emphasizes the absolute necessity of always confirming autopilot engagement and maintaining vigilance, as automated systems can fail.
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.
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