Van's RV-8 N58RV

Summary

On 24 May 1998 at about 13:30 local time, a Van's RV-8 registered N58RV was involved in an accident near Ripley, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 May 1998 at 13:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ripley, California, United States

Coordinates

33.7807, -116.4105

Aircraft

Van's RV-8

Registration

N58RV

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blythe → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98FA171

2 people died.

the intentional or unintentional sudden application of aft elevator control by an undetermined aircraft occupant that exceeded the design stress limits of the aircraft. The aircraft gross weight, which exceeded the maximum allowable for aerobatics, and airspeed, which exceeded the maximum maneuvering speed for the weight, were factors in this accident.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft, equipped with dual controls, departed for a demonstration flight with the pilot in the front seat and the pilot-rated passenger in the back. A demonstration flight includes only low-G maneuvers. The aircraft, designed for aerobatics, had, since its manufacture, performed aerobatic maneuvers on previous flights. The maximum allowable gross weight for aerobatics is 1,550 pounds. The aircraft weighed an estimated at 1,639 pounds at the time of the accident. An agricultural pilot reported seeing the aircraft in a shallow climb about 500 feet agl. An eyewitness, over a mile from the accident site, heard an engine surging and looked up. He saw a yellow aircraft flying straight and level, about 1,000 feet agl. As he watched, something fell from the aircraft, which was followed by a loud boom. The aircraft pitched up, nosed over, rolled, entering a spin that continued until impact. The outboard portion of the left wing was found 0.17 miles from the crash site. The main spar had evidence of a ductile fracture due to a positive overload. The spar material met design specifications for metal composition and hardness. There was no evidence of fatigue or corrosion. The outboard section of the left wing did not exhibit any evidence of aeroelastic divergence. A flutter test showed the aircraft design was free from flutter to speeds above its design envelope. Wing load testing showed the wing design was able to support a limit load, +6 g's. The wing also supported an ultimate load, +9 g's, for 3 seconds without failure. The Engine Management System nonvolatile memory readout provided data points equivalent to 191 mph in level flight. Maneuvering speed under the same conditions was 142 mph.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.