- Date
- July 7, 1988, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Atwood, KS
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N320DBCessna 320
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880707025749A
- Case key
- 34496
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
The PIC had deptd the denver metro area carrying pax to vacation in Indiana. No flt plan was filed and there was no record of a preflt wx brief. The flt progrsd without any known difficulty until reaching the colorodo/kansas border. The PIC rqstd and rcvd wx OBS for locations ahead of him, having obsvd a lge area of cloud buildup. The PIC was advised of level 2 rain showers with inbedded tstm activity along the frontal boundary. Ntap displayed no appreciable alteration of gnd track subsequent to the wx brief. However the (ntap) data indicated lrge changes in altitudes, psbly indicating severe turbulence. The last data indicated a 12,000 ft per min descent. The acft impacted inverted in a furrowed field. Evidence indicated lgtng strikes to the cockpit and wing and a cabin fire. Radar data indicated the acft penetrated an area of lvl four tstms. Portions of the acft were found strewn over a one mile area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N320DB
- Reported as
- Cessna 320
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 320B0034
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-470-C, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lee Wm. Lemond
- Registered owner
- Comfort Center, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1986
- Departed
- BIC · Broomfield, CO
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,550 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GLD, 50 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.