Incident Overview
The pilot of an aircraft reported that as the aircraft began to climb after takeoff, the engine lost power momentarily and the RPM dropped from 2650 to 2500. The pilot initiated an abort of the takeoff and informed the passengers, stating, "We're going to have to put her down."
Sequence of Events
About the time the aircraft touched down on the runway, the engine developed full power. With marginal stopping distance remaining on the snow-covered runway, the pilot elected to continue the takeoff. At approximately the same time, the passenger in the right front seat braced himself for a crash and inadvertently stepped on the right rudder pedal. Subsequently, the aircraft departed the right side of the runway and struck a dirt berm that was 8 feet in height.
Post-Incident Findings
No significant engine malfunctions were found during the post-incident examination.