Incident Overview
A private pilot and his daughter had arrived at Furnace Creek earlier that morning after departing from Lancaster. They spent several hours touring Death Valley National Park and were preparing to return home.
Preflight and Takeoff Sequence
The pilot conducted his preflight check in the tie-down area. After back taxiing on the runway and aligning the aircraft for takeoff, he became concerned that he would not be able to see approaching aircraft while performing his takeoff checklist. He decided to maintain his position but expedite the process without using the written checklist from the glove compartment. He performed his run-up and completed the checks from memory. He announced his departure on Unicom, added full power, and began the takeoff roll.
Discovery of Gust Lock Pin
The pilot estimated that rotation speed (65 mph) was reached approximately two-thirds of the way down the runway. As he started to pull on the control yoke, he realized the gust lock pin was still in the locked position. He felt that he could not abort the takeoff at this point without departing the end of the runway at a high rate of speed. He attempted to remove the gust lock, which required depressing a button on the bottom of the pin while pulling down on the shaft.
Runway Overrun and Aftermath
As the pilot struggled with the pin, the aircraft overran the runway. The nose gear dug into the dirt and was sheared off. The aircraft came to rest an estimated 30 to 50 yards past the end of the runway. As he secured the cockpit, the pilot noticed that the key was sheared off, the throttle was pulled out and its shaft bent down. He also noted that the control lock was on the floor with a broken piece of its neoprene housing. The pilot exited the aircraft behind his daughter.