Cessna 340A accident near Cincinnati, Ohio, June 20, 1984
On June 20, 1984 at about 4:17 pm local time, a Cessna 340A, registered N5345J, was destroyed in an accident near Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1984 · about 4:17 pm local time
- Place
- Cincinnati, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · all 340As on the register
- Registration
- N5345J · no longer on the register · serial 340A0418
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT REQUESTED FUEL FROM FBO BUT FAILED TO MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT TYPE HE WANTED. THE FBO PERSONNEL MISUNDERSTOOD THE PLT'S REQUEST AND REFUELED THE ACFT WITH 'JET A' INSTEAD OF AVIATION GRADE GASOLINE. THE PLT DID NOT MONITOR THE REFUELING PROCESS AND FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE WRONG FUEL AS STATED ON FUEL RECEIPT. THE PLT DID NOT REALIZE THE IMPROPER FUEL ON HIS PREFLIGHT OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT DEPARTED AND SHORTLY THERE AFTER THE PLT RADIOED THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO THE ARPT BECAUSE OF A SERIOUS PROBLEM. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A LEFT BANK (ABOUT 45 DEGREE BANK ANGLE) BEFORE IMPACT IN A DENSELY WOODED AREA.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,000 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, June 7, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: W70 Williamsburg VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:23 pm from LUF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.