Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1 accident near Holdrege, Nebraska, July 17, 1988
On July 17, 1988 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1, registered N8806B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Holdrege, Nebraska. 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
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 17, 1988 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Holdrege, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1
- Registration
- N8806B · no longer on the register · serial DW1003981
- 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 PLT SAID THAT AFTER COMPLETING A SPRAYING OPERATION AND DEPLETING HIS CHEMICAL LOAD, HE FLEW TO A NEAR-BY FARM FIELD TO CHECK IT OVER. ENROUTE, THE ENGINE QUIT, AND ATTEMPTS TO RESTART IT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AN EMERGENCY LDG WAS ATTEMPTED IN A PLOWED FARM FIELD. DURING THE ROLLOUT, THE ACFT NOSED OVER, DUE TO THE SOFT, MUDDY CONDITIONS. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION AND ENGINE RUN-UP, INDICATED THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.
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: 2,360 hours in all; 726 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,360 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 722 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1988; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-M1B5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Harrington Flying Serv. INC.
The flight
- Departed from: HDE Holdrege NE at 11:00 am
- Destination: HDE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N8806B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.