What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On September 26,1998, about 08:10 PDT, an experimental reynolds RV-3, N244WW, en route to atwater, CA experienced and in-flight breakup over Arbuckle, CA. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The weather as observed during the on-site investigation revealed that instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. (.4)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 fractur e surfaces exhibited overload characteristics, and no impact malfunctions or faliures were found with the control system. The pilot's toxicoloical results were positive for quinie. The side effects of quinine can include distrurbances of vision, hearing, and balance. Disturbances of balance have been noted even at low dodses, and the of quinine by pilots is usually contraindicated, as it may contribute to spatail disorientation under some conditions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON SEPTEMBER 26,1998, ABOUT 08:10 PDT, AN EXPERIMENTAL REYNOLDS RV-3, N244WW, EN ROUTE TO ATWATER, CA EXPERIENCED AND IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OVER ARBUCKLE, CA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE WEATHER AS OBSERVED DURING THE ON-SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. (.4)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 FRACTUR E SURFACES EXHIBITED OVERLOAD CHARACTERISTICS, AND NO IMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FALIURES WERE FOUND WITH THE CONTROL SYSTEM. THE PILOT'S TOXICOLOICAL RESULTS WERE POSITIVE FOR QUINIE. THE SIDE EFFECTS OF QUININE CAN INCLUDE DISTRURBANCES OF VISION, HEARING, AND BALANCE. DISTURBANCES OF BALANCE HAVE BEEN NOTED EVEN AT LOW DODSES, AND THE OF QUININE BY PILOTS IS USUALLY CONTRAINDICATED, AS IT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SPATAIL DISORIENTATION UNDER SOME CONDITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.