Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1 accident near Jamestown, North Dakota, August 5, 1990
On August 5, 1990 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1, registered N8810E, was destroyed in an accident near Jamestown, North Dakota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE POWERLINE DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION MANUEVER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 1990 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jamestown, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1
- Registration
- N8810E · no longer on the register · serial DW-1-0063-82
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION MANUEVER. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED 85 YARDS FROM THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED. SECTIONS OF AIRPLANE FABRIC AND STRUCTURE WERE FOUND UNDER POWERLINES LOCATED ON THE WEST END OF THE FIELD. THE FABRIC AND WOOD STRUCTURE WERE IDENTIFIED AS BEING PART OF THE TOP RIGHT WING.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,192 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 7, 1990; 114 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-M1B5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: JMS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:46 pm from JMS, 3 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.