FTW82FA171
1982-05-12 · LORENZO, Texas, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport LBB
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED WHILE THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AFTER A NIGHT TAKEOFF. MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS WERE FORECAST WITH THUNDERSTORMS PREDICTED. THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN AREA WHERE A THUNDERSTORM WAS IN PROGRESS. HIS COURSE TO THE AIRPORT WAS CORRECTED BY RADAR PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE PA-28 TYPE AIRCRAFT ON ONE PREVIOUS OCCASION. HE WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. WHEN THE PLANE CRASHED, IT IMPACTED AT HIGH SPEED IN ABOUT A 60 DEG LEFT BANK AND ABOUT A 45 DEG NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1982_FTW82FA171.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (thunderstorm). All research papers
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA) The Impact of Thunderstorms on Take-off Data in South Africa
Aviation and meteorology are entwined disciplines, as aviation occurs in the atmosphere. Prevailing weather conditions at take-off are of utmost importance to aviation.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM) Thunderstorm hazards flight research: Storm hazards 1980 overview
A highly instrumented NASA F-106B aircraft, modified for the storm hazards mission and protected against direct lightning strikes, was used in conjunction with various ground based radar and lightning…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
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- NASA NTRS 2019 · Preprint (Draft being sent to journal) Nowcasting Thunderstorm Anvil Clouds Over KSC/CCAFS
Electrified thunderstorm anvil clouds extend the threat of natural and triggered lightning to space launch and landing operations far beyond the immediate vicinity of thunderstorm cells.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR) An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal) Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.