20020527014159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech C23 · Greensboro, NC · May 27, 2002

Date
May 27, 2002 · 13:30 local
Place
Greensboro, NC
Airport
Air Harbor Airport
Phase of flight
To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1980L
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL02LA114
Reported as
Beech C23
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
200 total80 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) During take off after becoming airborne, pilot elected to abort t.o. , drifted right of center line, landed in field next to runway. Aircraft rolled approx. 50 yards before turning sideways, main gear attachment bracket pieces found around point where aircraft started turning sideways. A/c travelled another approx. 30 yards prior to coming to rest approx. 20-25 yards from center of runway. Nose gear collapsed but remained attached to aircraft. There was a large truck directly in front of the a/c path approx. 30-35 yards from centerline of runway. A/c came to rest approx. 10-15 yards from in front of truck. (.4) on may 27, 2002, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Beech 23, N1980L, registered to a private owner and operated by the pilot, collided with the ground and collapsed the landing gear after the pilot elected to abort a takeoff after liftoff from runway 27AT Air Harbor Airport in Greensboro, north carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, an d the private pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight departed Greensboro, north carolina, at 1329. According to the pilot, shortly after liftoff, he felt an apparent loss of engine power and elected to abort the takeoff, and attempted an emergency landing in an adjacent field. After touchdown in the field, the pilot elected to ground loop the airplane when he realized the airplane was on collision course with an approaching truck. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left main gear had snapped off and the nose wheel had collapsed. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane prior to the accident. Examination of the engine failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or component failure. Several gallons of aviation fuel were noted in the fuel system.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING TAKE OFF AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT T.O. , DRIFTED RIGHT OF CENTER LINE, LANDED IN FIELD NEXT TO RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT ROLLED APPROX. 50 YARDS BEFORE TURNING SIDEWAYS, MAIN GEAR ATTACHMENT BRACKET PIECES FOUND AROUND POINT WHERE AIRCRAFT STARTED TURNING SIDEWAYS. A/C TRAVELLED ANOTHER APPROX. 30 YARDS PRIOR TO COMING TO REST APPROX. 20-25 YARDS FROM CENTER OF RUNWAY. NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED BUT REMAINED ATTACHED TO AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS A LARGE TRUCK DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE A/C PATH APPROX. 30-35 YARDS FROM CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY. A/C CAME TO REST APPROX. 10-15 YARDS FROM IN FRONT OF TRUCK. (.4) ON MAY 27, 2002, AT 1330 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH 23, N1980L, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND COLLAPSED THE LANDING GEAR AFTER THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT A TAKEOFF AFTER LIFTOFF FROM RUNWAY 27AT AIR HARBOR AIRPORT IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AN D THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1329. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, HE FELT AN APPARENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, AND ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN ADJACENT FIELD. AFTER TOUCHDOWN IN THE FIELD, THE PILOT ELECTED TO GROUND LOOP THE AIRPLANE WHEN HE REALIZED THE AIRPLANE WAS ON COLLISION COURSE WITH AN APPROACHING TRUCK. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR HAD SNAPPED OFF AND THE NOSE WHEEL HAD COLLAPSED. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR COMPONENT FAILURE. SEVERAL GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL WERE NOTED IN THE FUEL SYSTEM.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.