Accident Summary
At the start of the flight, during the takeoff ground run, the pilot realized that the airplane's control gust lock had not been removed. The airplane was unable to stop before traveling off the end of the runway, colliding with a fence, and coming to rest partially submerged in the bay north of the airstrip.
Circumstances
The pilot reported that the airplane was normally kept in a hangar and that the gust lock was not used. However, the day before the accident, another pilot had flown the airplane and left it outside the hangar, installing the gust lock. The lock used was just the pin, as the red caution flag had previously broken off.
Preflight Actions
During the preflight inspection, the pilot did not see that the pin was installed. The pilot also reported that he did not use a checklist and at no time during the preflight inspection did he check for freedom of movement of the flight controls.