Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1 accident near Houlton, Maine, September 7, 1994
On September 7, 1994 at about 10:00 am local time, a Eagle Aircraft Co. DW-1, registered N8810Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houlton, Maine. 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
Inadequate maintenance inspection which failed to detect internal corrosion of the magneto, resulting in ignition arcing and the 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
- September 7, 1994 · about 10:00 am local time
- Place
- Houlton, Maine
- 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
- N8810Z · no longer on the register · serial DW1-006682
- 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 PILOT HAD STARTED THE INITIAL PASS OVER A FIELD, AND WAS ABOUT TO START AERIAL APPLICATION, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, THE 'PLANE STARTED TO SHAKE, SPUTTER AND BACKFIRE.' THE PILOT TRIED TO LAND AT THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 95. DURING THE LANDING THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE AND THE AIRPLANE THEN HIT A GUARD RAIL AND FLIPPED OVER. AN ENGINE TEST RUN REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE COULD NOT SUSTAIN A CONTINUOUS RUN. BLACK SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPES AND THE ENGINE WAS 'KICKING BACKWARDS.' MAGNETO TIMING WAS CHECKED, AND FOUND TO BE 'APPROXIMATELY 27 DEGREES BEFORE TOP DEAD CENTER.' THE MAGNETO TIMING WAS ADJUSTED, AND AGAIN THE ENGINE COULD NOT SUSTAIN A RUN. THE MAGNETO WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE RAN SUCCESSFULLY. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE MAGNETO (BENDIX D6LN-3000, P/N 10-682560-13), REVEALED CORROSION WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE HOUSING, AND ON THE ROTATING MAGNET (RIGHT SIDE) AND THE POINTS WERE ARCING.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,264 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 1994; 232 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-M1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HUL Houlton ME at 10:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.
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.