Search Results for: Cessna 172

The craggy rocks of the northern California coastline stretch out in front of the Cheetah, offering sharp contrast to the dramatically swirling blue waters and white foam surf crashing violently against their sides as we make our way north. I’m busy contemplating possible reasons for the stretch of turquoise-colored water near the shoreline when Jeff’s […]

The four-seat, four-cylinder, tricycle fixed-gear singles are in large part the basis for general aviation flying. There are a lot of them out there. They fly a big percentage of the general aviation hours, and one of them is often a first airplane with many pilots satisfied with them as the only airplane they will […]

Precise flying is a numbers game. But can you really trust the numbers and other information in your Pilots Operating Handbook?

February 1, 2005, Shallotte, N.C.
Cessna T210M
At 1857 Eastern time, the airplane collided with trees and power lines in the vicinity of Shallotte, N.C., while maneuvering during a forced landing. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was destroyed, and there was a posr-crash fire. The Private pilot reported minor injuries; the Private pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The flight originated from Atlantic City, New Jersey, on February 1, 2005, at 1615. The airplane had been in cruise flight at 3000 feet, receiving flight following from ATC, when engine power decreased to idle. As the pilot was making a Mayday call, he lost sight of a highway on which he plan…

January 1, 2005, Ainsworth, Neb.
Cessna 551 Citation
At around 1120 Central time, the aircraft was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain while attempting to land. Instrument conditions prevailed; the Instrument-rated Private pilot and three passengers were uninjured. Two passengers reported minor injuries. At 1113:16, the airplane was cleared for a GPS Runway 17 approach. The pilot later stated that the airplane started to accumulate ice at around 4000 feet msl during the approach. Subsequently, the airplane descended out of IMC at between 300 and 400 feet agl. The Citations cockpit windows were obscured by the accumulation of ice and the pilot e…

Autopilots are often the least well-understood pieces of equipment in the panel. But knowing your flight director/autopilot can make your flying safer.

A low-time pilot elects to fly into deteriorating weather at night and without an Instrument rating. The result was predictable.

Somewhere beyond our Cessna 172’s windscreen, the world must still exist. Somewhere out there must be a sky, a horizon, stars, and-a few thousand feet below us-an arid landscape dotted with spinifex grass, red sand ridges and dry river beds winding their way across the vast, uninhabited stretches of the Simpson Desert. At the moment, […]

December 1, 2004, Lees Summit, Mo.
Piper PA-28-181
At 1200 Central time, the rental airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Lees Summit Municipal Airport (LXT). Visual conditions prevailed; there were no injuries. The local flight originated from LXT at 1030.The pilots preflight inspection included checking the fuel gauges and the fuel level in each tank, which was just under the tabs. After a touch-and-go landing at a nearby airport, he climbed and headed to the east. A few minutes later, the engine sputtered just a little. He applied carburetor heat, and the engine smoothed out. He returned to the nearby airport, landed and performed a ru…

We asked readers to tell us what they consider risky and what they dont. The numbers include some surprising revelations.