- Date
- May 27, 2002, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greensboro, NC
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1980LBeech 23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Greensboro FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020527014159A
- Case key
- 54873
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, A factor was the pilot's intentional ground loop during a forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot elected to abort a takeoff after liftoff from runway 27at Air Harbor Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. Shortly after liftoff, the engine loss power, and the pilot attempted an emergency landing in an adjacent field. After touchdown in the field, the pilot ground looped the airplane to avoid an approaching truck. The subsequent examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem.
Factual narrative
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, and 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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1980L
- Reported as
- Beech 23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1257
- Airframe hours
- 2,400
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David L. Leander
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 2002 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- W88 · Greensboro, NC
- Airport
- KW88 · Air Harbour, runway 27, 2,460 × 65 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 100 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- GSO, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 270 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.