Amateur-built Dragonfly accident near Freeport, Illinois, September 8, 2015
On September 8, 2015 at about 1:25 pm local time, a 1991 amateur-built Dragonfly, registered N24TL, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Freeport, Illinois (Albertus Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s degraded climb performance due to its being over its maximum gross weight and a hole in the engine exhaust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2015 · about 1:25 pm local time
- Place
- Freeport, Illinois · Albertus Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Dragonfly MK II, built 1991
- Registration
- N24TL · registry record · serial C171032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in the experimental airplane. The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, he observed a "puff" of smoke emanate from the engine's left side and noted that the airplane did not accelerate as quickly as it normally did. The pilot leaned the mixture control, which was at 3/4 rich, and the engine subsequently started to develop normal power. The airplane lifted off about midfield and 80 mph. When the airplane reached about 150 to 200 ft above the ground, the pilot noticed that it was not climbing as he would have expected. The manifold pressure was 47 inches, and he was concerned about "overboosting" the engine, so he reduced the manifold pressure to 40 inches, and the airplane then started to descend. The pilot increased the manifold pressure to 45 inches, but the airplane continued to descend. The pilot chose to perform a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane struck a wire fence and then the ground. During postaccident examination, the engine started without hesitation and ran up to 40 inches of manifold pressure for several minutes. Examination of the engine revealed a 1/2-inch square crack in the exhaust pipe. No other anomalies were noted with the engine or its systems. An examination of the airframe, flight controls, and remaining systems revealed no anomalies. The takeoff weight of the airplane at the time of the accident was estimated to be 1,310 lbs, which was 110 lbs over the airplane's maximum gross weight. It is likely that the combined effects of the hole in the exhaust pipe and the airplane being over its maximum gross weight negatively affected the airplane's climb performance during takeoff.
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 lift during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › CG/weight distribution › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › (general) › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 395 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 0.6 in the last 90 days; 0.6 in the last 30 days; 338 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 20, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,008 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 17, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ 25 (2.5L) (piston); 60 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFEP Freeport IL at 1:20 pm
- Destination: C77 Poplar Grove IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,504 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KFEP, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN15LA402.