What happened
During the takeoff roll, the airplane's power was observed to reduce at mid-field before full power was reapplied. The aircraft initially climbed to approximately 6 feet before settling back onto the runway. After a second attempt to climb to 6 feet, the aircraft settled again and continued its takeoff roll, utilizing most of the 5,850-foot runway until reaching the airport perimeter fence. The aircraft reached an altitude of about 20 feet AGL before it settled into a house. At the time of the accident, the density altitude was 7,800 feet.
The investigation
An examination of the engine revealed several mechanical discrepancies. The magneto-to-engine timing was incorrect, and the internal timing on both sets of points within the magneto was also off. Additionally, both point gaps were found to be incorrect. Regarding the ignition system, five of the 12 spark plugs had worn electrodes, and one spark plug was found to be not approved for use in that engine. Records indicated that a 100-hour inspection had been performed on February 2, 1993, approximately 17 flight-hours prior to the accident.