Cessna 340 accident near Lincoln, Montana, June 19, 1998
On June 19, 1998 at about 4:07 am local time, a Cessna 340, registered N88JH, was destroyed in an accident near Lincoln, Montana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1998 · about 4:07 am local time
- Place
- Lincoln, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N88JH · registry record · serial 340-0007
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 238 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,228 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 1998; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,975 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BZN Bozeman MT at 3:29 am
- Destination: FCA Kalispell MT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 215° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 am from HLN, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA98FA105.