What happened
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, when the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 6 to 10 feet above ground level, a loud noise was heard followed by an impact on the left propeller and the left side of the nose. The pilot did not see any object in the air but assumed the plane had struck a large bird. Darkness and the open baggage door obstructed the pilot's forward and lateral view.
The pilot immediately aborted the takeoff and touched down with approximately 300 feet of runway remaining. The aircraft continued off the end of the paved surface, traveled over a low mound, and descended a steep incline into a mudflat. It eventually came to rest in about 12 to 18 inches of water.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the nose baggage door was found open, with the latch locked and the locking mechanism in the locked position. Despite the pilot's initial assumption, no evidence of a bird strike was found on the aircraft or in the immediate vicinity.
Findings
The investigation determined that the impact was likely caused by debris or an object on the runway rather than wildlife. The open baggage door during takeoff may have contributed to the obstruction of the pilot's view and potentially allowed for the ingestion of foreign objects, though no definitive cause for the initial noise could be confirmed beyond the physical evidence.