Eagle DW1 accident near Ider, Alabama, July 18, 2018
On July 18, 2018 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Eagle DW1, registered N8805X, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Ider, Alabama. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fatigue failure of the No. 2 cylinder studs/through bolts and the fracture of the crankcase, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2018 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ider, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eagle DW1 NO SERIES
- Registration
- N8805X · no longer on the register · serial DW-1-0036-81
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting an aerial application flight. He stated that while maneuvering at 1,500 ft, he heard a "deep knock" in the engine; the entire windshield became covered with oil, and the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing to a service road, during which the airplane struck a barbed-wire fence with the right wings before coming to rest in a field. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed the No. 2 cylinder had separated from the cylinder mounting deck. Two fractured sections of the left crankcase that included part of the No. 2 cylinder bore were found in the engine cowling. All but one of the No. 2 cylinder base studs and through bolts remained in the cylinder bore and were fractured. The fractured surfaces exhibited signatures consistent with fatigue. The fatigue failure of the No. 2 cylinder studs and through bolts and the fracture of the crankcase led to the loss of engine power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,214.3 hours in all
- Last flight review: December 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,432.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 2018; 23 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 1,882 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ider AL
- Destination: Ider AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from HSV, 53 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 30, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Written Statement - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Records -engine | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Materials Laboratory Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Sport Aviation Article June 2014 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.