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19960905026129A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 340A · Wise River, MT · September 5, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 5, 1996
Place
Wise River, MT
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N128RP
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA96FA209
Reported as
Cessna 340A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
N128RPRegistration cancelled Sep 5, 2014 · Cessna 340AS/N 340A0084 · Built 1976Airframe modelCessna 340AEngine modelContinental TSIO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Encountered turbulence on takeoff climb, more turbulence on climb. Pilot said in dive. Crashed. (.4) the pilot received a full weather briefing from a flight service station (fss) on the morning of the accident. The fss briefer told the pilot that moderate turbulence and icing prevailed along the pilot's intended route of flight, and that there were forecasts for isolated thundershowers. The briefer advised the pilot to call for an update just prior to departure. The pilot departed on the flight almost 3 hours later without calling for an update. He received an IFR clearance after 15 minutes of delays, then proceeded on course to his destination. About 35 minutes after departure, while cruising at 16,000 feet, the pilot reported that he was 'in the clouds and the bumps are big time.' About 3 minutes later, the pilot radioed that he was 'in a dive and I don't...' The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down, inverted attitude and exploded. Analysis of recorded radar and meteorological data indicates that the airplane encountered a thunderstorm, strong updrafts, downdrafts, and turbulence.

As the FAA filed it

ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE ON TAKEOFF CLIMB, MORE TURBULENCE ON CLIMB. PILOT SAID IN DIVE. CRASHED. (.4) THE PILOT RECEIVED A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING FROM A FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FSS BRIEFER TOLD THE PILOT THAT MODERATE TURBULENCE AND ICING PREVAILED ALONG THE PILOT'S INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT, AND THAT THERE WERE FORECASTS FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSHOWERS. THE BRIEFER ADVISED THE PILOT TO CALL FOR AN UPDATE JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE PILOT DEPARTED ON THE FLIGHT ALMOST 3 HOURS LATER WITHOUT CALLING FOR AN UPDATE. HE RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE AFTER 15 MINUTES OF DELAYS, THEN PROCEEDED ON COURSE TO HIS DESTINATION. ABOUT 35 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, WHILE CRUISING AT 16,000 FEET, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'IN THE CLOUDS AND THE BUMPS ARE BIG TIME.' ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE WAS 'IN A DIVE AND I DON'T...' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A NOSE-DOWN, INVERTED ATTITUDE AND EXPLODED. ANALYSIS OF RECORDED RADAR AND METEOROLOGICAL DATA INDICATES THAT THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A THUNDERSTORM, STRONG UPDRAFTS, DOWNDRAFTS, AND TURBULENCE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA96FA209Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportWise River, MTThe pilot's attempt to fly in adverse meteorological conditions which led a loss of aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident include: the pilot's failure to obtain the most current information of the meteorological conditions prior to departure,…Sep 5, 1996 · Destroyed

Other reports on N128RP · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19950109001929IGo Round (Aborted VFR) · Twin Falls, IDNarrative: the pilot furnished the following information: during an attempted crosswind landing, two strong gusts of wind caused the aircraft to go to the left north and left side of the runway. The pilot lost directional control, retracted the landing gear…Jan 9, 1995 · Minor damage