Event Details
During the takeoff roll, the captain reported that the aircraft felt sluggish. At the calculated V1/Vr speeds, the aircraft was rotated for liftoff. It climbed to an altitude of about 10 feet, then shuddered and began to sink. The captain decided to abort the takeoff. He landed the aircraft on the remaining runway, applied brakes, and deployed the drag chute.
After deployment, the drag chute separated from the aircraft. The aircraft subsequently departed the runway, traveled down a hill, through a fence, across a road and a grassy area, across another road, through a chain link fence, and finally collided with a power pole.
Findings
The captain indicated that the takeoff performance calculations were performed using inappropriate tables. Additionally, the crew failed to account for wet runway conditions and a wind shift. Examination of the drag chute revealed that its riser had fractured at a point where it passed through a lightning hole in the aircraft structure. The lightning hole showed no evidence that a nylon grommet had been installed.
Probable Cause
The takeoff performance was calculated using inappropriate tables, and the wet runway and wind shift were not considered.