Raytheon Aircraft Company A36 accident near Freeport, Illinois, October 5, 2022
On October 5, 2022 at about 11:30 am local time, a 1998 Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, registered N147DT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Freeport, Illinois (Albertus Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2022 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Freeport, Illinois · Albertus Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, built 1998
- Registration
- N147DT · registry record · serial E-3163
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while in the pattern practicing touch and go landings, he became distracted, failed to use the pre-landing checklist, and forgot to extend the airplane’s landing gear. He landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted and skidded to a stop on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that have precluded normal operation.
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
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,000 hours in all; 5,100 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 20,500 as pilot in command; 4,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 15, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,922 hours in all; 1,084 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,922 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2022
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,336 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 19, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 3,660 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550B (piston); 629 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KRFD Rockford IL at 10:45 am
- Destination: KJVL Janesville WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,504 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 3012.00 inHg
Weather report (METAR): KFEP 051715Z AUTO 22005KT 10SM CLR 21/06 A3012 RMK AO2 T02110060
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 5, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR23LA033.