What happened
During an aborted takeoff, the aircraft overran the runway and collided with soft terrain. The pilot reported that the preflight, engine start, and engine run-up procedures were all completed normally.
As the aircraft reached 85 knots, the pilot attempted to rotate by pulling back on the yoke. The control movement was minimal, and the airplane failed to rotate despite a second, harder application of the yoke. In response, the pilot cut the throttle and applied full brakes. The aircraft subsequently traveled off the end of the runway, crossed a road, and entered a plowed field. The impact with the soft terrain caused the nose gear to collapse and resulted in both main gears separating from the airplane.
The investigation
An inspection of the flight control systems revealed no failures or malfunctions. However, an examination of the engine identified that the three screws securing the magneto harness cover on the right magneto were missing, which had allowed the harness to back away from the magneto. Additionally, investigators found that the turbine in the turbocharger was dragging during a manual rotation attempt. A teardown of the turbocharger subsequently revealed a build-up of carbon within the heat shield.