N1980L

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.