Jahns VANS RV-7 N916R

Summary

On 5 July 2008 at about 22:50 local time, a Jahns VANS RV-7 registered N916R was involved in an accident near Neptune, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2008 at 22:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Neptune, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Monmouth Executive Airport (BLM)

Coordinates

40.1933, -74.0367

Aircraft

Jahns VANS RV-7

Registration

N916R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Belmar → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08FA239

1 person died.

An in-flight loss of control for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot-owner of the amateur-built airplane completed an oil change and was seen performing other maintenance on his airplane. The airplane subsequently departed the uncontrolled airport at an unknown time, and was seen impacting an estuary, approximately 4 miles from the departure airport, after a near-vertical descent. The wreckage was highly fragmented. The engine, propeller, and several other components were not located or recovered. Examination of the recovered wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact failures. Toxicological tests on the pilot detected quinine (a medication used to treat malaria, found in tonic water, and available in non-prescription nutritional supplements marketed to reduce the frequency of nocturnal leg cramps) in the liver tissue. Side effects of quinine can include disturbances of vision, hearing, and balance, and the use of quinine by pilots is usually contraindicated, since it may contribute to spatial disorientation under some conditions. No information was obtained regarding the pilot’s possible use of quinine, and it was not possible to determine from the toxicology tests when the pilot might most recently have ingested quinine, or whether he may have been impaired by such use.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.