Amateur-built VAN'S RV-3 accident near Arbuckle, California, September 26, 1998
On September 26, 1998 at about 3:10 pm local time, a amateur-built VAN'S RV-3, registered N244WW, was destroyed in an accident near Arbuckle, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1998 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Arbuckle, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VAN'S RV-3
- Registration
- N244WW · registry record · serial 244
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 661 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,051 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RDD Redding CA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: MER Atwater CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from MYV, 29 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.
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.