Incident Details
An aircraft collided with the runway at its midpoint during takeoff, impacting in a 30-degree nose-low attitude. The runway was 5,000 feet long.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, the takeoff was initiated from the north end of the runway. After traveling 500 feet, the aircraft lifted off normally. The pilot then relaxed back pressure on the elevator to accelerate to best climb speed. At the runway's midpoint, the aircraft began to pitch down gently. The pilot applied nose-up trim, but the aircraft continued to pitch down. The pilot noted that the control stick would not move farther aft than the neutral position. The aircraft continued pitching down until it struck the runway.
Inspection Findings
An inspection of the aircraft revealed an unusual amount of tools and plywood in the tail section. However, no items were found lodged in a way that interfered with the flight controls. All flight controls had continuity, but the elevator cables had an unusual amount of slack, though not enough to render the aircraft uncontrollable.