Aborted Takeoff on Grass Runway Ends in Collision with Dirt Bank (N737SE)

Incident Overview and Runway Conditions The pilot was planning to depart the airport for a local flight. The hard surface runway at the airport was closed for maintenance, making the 1,500-foot grass runway the active runway. The pilot lined up on the grass runway, applied power, and began the takeoff roll for a soft field takeoff. The pilot stated that while holding back pressure on the yoke, the airplane lifted off the runway normally. He then allowed the airplane to accelerate to 59 knots, where he rotated the nose up for climb out. The pilot stated that at that point the airplane seemed to settle back to the runway, where he aborted the takeoff. The airplane then veered to the left, departed the runway, and collided with a dirt bank. Investigation revealed that the total distance traveled by the airplane was about 500 feet, from initial power to departure off the runway. The pilot's operating handbook called for a takeoff ground roll of about 1,100 feet. The pilot had four tenths of an hour of flight experience in the last 90 days.