Incident Details
The pilot taxied for takeoff and attempted to rotate the plane at 70 knots. Despite applying full aft pressure on the yoke, the plane would not lift off. The pilot then attempted to abort the takeoff after the plane reached 90 knots, but lost control. The plane departed the runway to the right and struck a culvert in a ditch. The impact caused the nose gear to collapse, and the plane nosed down. Damage included bent firewall, landing gear, propeller, and part of the fuselage.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that this was the first flight following repairs performed on the autopilot. He stated that he always rolled the elevator trim wheel a half-turn forward for takeoff, since he always left the trim full aft at landing. The pilot did not note the trim indicator position, as the indicator was broken prior to the accident.
Maintenance Background
A post-accident inspection revealed that the mechanic had repaired the trim indicator and set the trim to neutral in order to complete the maintenance. No fault was found with the trim or autopilot system during the inspection.
Expert Assessment
A representative from Cessna estimated that the reported trim setting (full aft) would require considerable strength to overcome for takeoff.