What happened
The pilot was conducting an intersection takeoff when the airplane began to yaw to the left during the transition from the ground roll to initial climb. This occurred at approximately 85 knots. Recognizing the loss of directional control, the pilot aborted the takeoff. The aircraft continued down the remaining runway and eventually ran off the end of the paved surface.
After leaving the runway, the airplane struck a fence located near the threshold area. It then came to rest on an adjacent highway. Upon stopping, the nose landing gear had collapsed due to the impact forces. The runway in question is 3,908 feet long, but the usable length from the specific intersection used for the takeoff was only 2,800 feet.
The investigation
A physical examination of the airplane and its engines was conducted to determine if mechanical failure contributed to the incident. The inspection did not disclose any evidence of pre-impact malfunction or failure in the airframe or powerplant systems. The focus shifted to the operational parameters of the takeoff roll relative to the available runway distance.
Findings
The accelerate-stop distance for this specific aircraft configuration and weight was computed to be 2,695 feet at 85 knots. While this distance is technically within the usable 2,800 feet from the intersection, the sudden yaw likely consumed critical stopping margin before the pilot could react effectively. The combination of the shortened available runway length due to the intersection departure and the directional instability resulted in the overrun.