Cessna 340 N88JH

Summary

On 19 June 1998 at about 04:07 local time, a Cessna 340 registered N88JH, operated by Curtis M. Moeller, was involved in an accident near Lincoln, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 June 1998 at 04:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Lincoln, Montana, United States

Coordinates

47.1606, -112.6807

Aircraft

Cessna 340

Registration

N88JH

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Curtis M. Moeller

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bozeman → Kalispell

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA98FA105

1 person died.

The pilot's improper or inadequate use of the aircraft's weather avoidance equipment, resulting in penetration of a Level 4 thunderstorm and subsequent loss of aircraft control from which the pilot did not recover. Factors included a thunderstorm and the pilot's lack of instrument currency.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During preflight weather briefing, the pilot was briefed to expect rain showers and thunderstorms up to Level 6 (extreme) intensity along his route of flight. The pilot, whose aircraft was equipped with radar and Stormscope equipment, filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and departed under IFR. Upon radar contact, ATC cleared the pilot direct to his destination. 21 minutes later, while flying on the direct (northwesterly) track to the destination, the aircraft entered a Level 4 thunderstorm cell. The pilot told air traffic control (ATC), '...[I] hit a pretty heavy cell here [I've] got lightning all around and picking up some hard ice.' The crew of another aircraft deviating to the north of the storm suggested the aircraft turn north to exit the weather. ATC relayed this suggestion, and the pilot replied he was turning to the north. The aircraft then entered a right turn; radar contact was lost after approximately 90 degrees of turn. 6 seconds after the time at the last radar position, the pilot radioed, '...[I'm] in a tremendous downdraft [I'm] losing altitude six thousand'. This was the last transmission received from the accident aircraft. A search for the aircraft was initiated; the aircraft wreckage was found approximately 11 1/2 hours later, approximately 1 1/2 miles south of the last radar position. Logbooks recovered from the wreckage indicated the pilot was not current for IFR flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.