Vans Aircraft RV-8 accident near Ripley, California, May 24, 1998
On May 24, 1998 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Vans Aircraft RV-8, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N58RV, was destroyed in an accident near Ripley, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1998 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ripley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans Aircraft RV-8, amateur-built · all RV-8s on the register
- Registration
- N58RV · no longer on the register · serial 2
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,601 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 1998; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-DIF (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Blythe CA at 1:18 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:47 pm from BLH, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.