O'neil VAN'S RV-3 N244WW

Summary

On 26 September 1998 at about 15:10 local time, a O'neil VAN'S RV-3 registered N244WW was involved in an accident near Arbuckle, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 September 1998 at 15:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Arbuckle, California, United States

Coordinates

39.0207, -122.0408

Aircraft

O'neil VAN'S RV-3

Registration

N244WW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redding → Atwater

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98FA305

1 person died.

The pilot's attempt to continue VFR flight in instrument conditions, which led to his spatial disorientation and in-flight loss of aircraft control, and, resulted in a pilot-induced overload failure of the airframe. The pilot's use of quinine may have been a factor in this accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness heard an aircraft fly overhead but was unable to see it due to low clouds and misting precipitation. Another witness saw the airplane break out of the bottom of the overcast, accompanied by increased engine sounds and falling parts, which had separated from the aircraft. He estimated the ceiling to be about 400 feet above ground level. The aircraft was not equipped for IFR flight and the pilot did not possess an instrument rating. The right wing separated from the aircraft and was located approximately 100 feet from the main wreckage. The empennage section also separated from the fuselage, and, the horizontal and vertical stabilizers had separated from the empennage. Examination of the wreckage disclosed that the fracture surfaces exhibited overload characteristics, and no preimpact malfunctions or failures were found with the control system. The pilot's toxicological results were positive for quinine. The side effects of quinine can include disturbances of vision, hearing, and balance. Disturbances of balance have been noted even at low doses, and the use of quinine by pilots is usually contraindicated, as it may contribute to spatial disorientation under some conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.