What happened
The pilot was operating a Cessna 172 on a 1700-foot-long sod runway characterized by rough surface conditions. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft struggled to accelerate adequately for the available distance. Approximately 400 feet of runway remained when the pilot determined that the airplane would not become airborne within the remaining space. Consequently, the decision was made to abort the takeoff.
Following the abort, the aircraft continued forward and slid off the end of the runway. The impact caused the nose gear to collapse, resulting in a nose-over incident. The pilot reported having a total flight time of 99 hours, with only 40 of those hours logged in the Cessna 172 type.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the physical condition of the runway and the aircraft's performance during the aborted takeoff. The rough sod surface likely contributed to increased rolling resistance, impeding acceleration. The collapse of the nose gear was consistent with the forces generated when an aircraft slides off a paved or hard surface onto uneven terrain at speed.
Findings
The primary factors contributing to this accident were the short and rough runway conditions which prevented the aircraft from achieving necessary takeoff speed in time. The pilot's decision to abort was made at the last possible moment, leaving insufficient distance to stop safely on the sod surface before reaching the end of the usable area.