On October 20, 2001, a Beech 58P (registration N701JK) operated by James H. Oppliger was involved in an aviation accident near Columbus, NE. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The exceeded aircraft performance and inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot in command. The lack of recent experience in aircraft by the pilot in command was a contributing factor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An airplane landed gear up between a runway and taxiway during an aborted takeoff after the pilot reported left engine power loss. The aircraft was at least 500 lbs overweight. The pilot lacked current flight review and instrument proficiency check.
Incident Overview
During an aborted takeoff, an airplane touched down with its landing gear retracted, coming to rest between the departure runway and a parallel taxiway. The pilot reported that the left engine experienced a 30 percent loss of power, and that the airplane did not seem to have sufficient power to sustain flight.
Weight and Pilot Qualifications
Postaccident weighing of the airplane, combined with the addition of passengers and baggage, revealed that the accident flight exceeded the aircraft's maximum takeoff weight of 6,200 lbs by at least 500 lbs. Additionally, the pilot did not possess a current biennial flight review or instrument proficiency check at the time of the incident.
Passenger Observation
A pilot-rated passenger onboard reported that there were no abnormal engine indications during the takeoff roll.