- Date
- August 1, 1984, 16:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Lupton, CO
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6231GCessna 421C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840801036589A
- Case key
- 16501
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During a preflt wx briefing, the plt was advised of thunderstorms & intense rain showers on the route of flt. However, he filed an IFR flt plan & took off. During flt, the ATC controller advised the plt of a level 6 cell ahead & noted that he had no report on its top. The plt reported that he was 'not showing anything' on his radar. Attempts were made to deviate. Aprx 20 min later, the plt reported the acft was encountering icing conditions & was losing alt. After another 1 min & 38 sec, he reported 'we're going in.' Subsequently, an in-flt breakup occurred. The wreckage was found scattered over a 1/2 mi area. An exam revealed that the outboard wing panels had failed in flt. Witnesses reported seeing either smoke or fire in flt before the acft crashed. Evidence of an electrical discharge was found on the outboard portion of the right wing. However, the plt had not mentioned any encounter with lightning on this flt. No evidence of metal fatigue was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6231G
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421C0262
- Airframe hours
- 23,799
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-L, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brister, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 13, 1983 · 2,099 hours before
- Departed
- AMA · Amarillo, TX
- Destination
- CPR · Casper, WY
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 28 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.