Eagle Aircraft Co. Eagle DW-1 accident near Waterville, Washington, August 9, 2007
On August 9, 2007 at about 3:42 pm local time, a Eagle Aircraft Co. Eagle DW-1, registered N8802E, was destroyed in an accident near Waterville, Washington (Waterville Airport). 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 loss of engine power during takeoff for an undetermined reason. A contributing factor was the high vegetation in the field where the airplane came to rest.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2007 · about 3:42 pm local time
- Place
- Waterville, Washington · Waterville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eagle Aircraft Co. Eagle DW-1
- Registration
- N8802E · registry record · serial DW-10015-81
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was departing on runway 07 with 190 gallons of applicant on board. He said that at the runway mid-point his airspeed appeared to be 5 miles per hour slow. He said that when the aircraft reached the point of commitment, the aircraft had not reached flying speed. The pilot said that the airplane launched off a 25 foot escarpment just off the end of the runway and landed in a wheat field. The airplane nosed over onto its back, and burned. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 8,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2S5 Waterville WA at 3:42 pm
- Destination: 2S5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 2,978 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from EPH
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.