ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36375
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| Date: | Saturday 26 September 1998 |
| Time: | 09:10 LT |
| Type: |  Van's RV-3 |
| Owner/operator: | Thomas Dewitt Castlebary |
| Registration: | N244WW |
| MSN: | 244 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 661 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-290 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Unknown |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Arbuckle, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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.
Probable Cause: 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.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX98FA305
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 02-Dec-2018 20:53 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 06-Apr-2024 06:05 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Accident report] |
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