Incident Overview
A private pilot and his passenger were taking off from a 2,700-foot long grass airstrip. The runway was wet from a recent rain, as reported by the pilot. The pilot's usual practice when taking off to the south is to perform a runup in front of the hangar, which is located adjacent to the north end of the runway, and then make a rolling takeoff from that position.
Takeoff and Abort
During the takeoff roll, the pilot felt that the aircraft accelerated sluggishly. He aborted the takeoff after the aircraft did not reach expected airspeeds. Unable to stop the aircraft due to the wet grass, he ground looped the aircraft.
Post-Accident Information
Following the accident, the aircraft engine was test-run and produced satisfactory results. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that he did not consider the effects of the wet runway on aircraft performance.