Eagle Aircraft Co. DW1 accident near Kimball, Nebraska, July 16, 1984
On July 16, 1984 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Eagle Aircraft Co. DW1, registered N8815S, was destroyed in an accident near Kimball, Nebraska. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1984 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Kimball, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eagle Aircraft Co. DW1
- Registration
- N8815S · no longer on the register · serial 0093-83
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A MICROWAVE TOWER 158 FT AGL WHILE THE PLT WAS MAKING A SMOKE TRAIL TO TEST THE WIND. AS THE PLT WAS SEEN TO LOOK BACK ALONG HIS SMOKE PATH, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE TOWER. THE CABLES SUPPORTING THE TWR & THE TWR DESTROYED THE ACFT WHICH FELL NOSE DOWN TO THE GROUND. THE ACFT BOUNCED ON IMPACT ABOUT 21 FT BACKWARDS LEAVING THE PROP& SOME OF THE ENGINE AT THE IMPACT POINT. NO MECHANICAL OR MEDICAL DISCREPANCIES OF A CONTRIBUTORY NATURE WERE FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 237 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1984; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-M1B5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Potter NE
- Destination: Kimball NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.