Accident Overview
The airplane collided with terrain after a loss of control during takeoff. The pilot reported that during preflight, he observed the elevator trim was set "all the way to the bottom" and adjusted it for takeoff. He then completed the preflight, started the engine, and taxied to the runway.
Takeoff Attempt
During the takeoff roll at 75 to 80 miles per hour, the pilot "slowly pulled back on the control wheel and the plane would not lift off. After the midfield point it still would not lift off. So I proceeded to pull power at which time it lifted up and came back down and bounced one more time before I pushed in power." The airplane then departed the right side of the runway, flew over the runway and approach lights, and impacted the terrain. The nose gear collapsed upon impact.
Post-Accident Inspection
Examination of the airplane revealed a discrepancy between the elevator trim tab position and the cockpit trim indicator. When the pilot aligned the indicator for a takeoff setting, the actual trim surface was in a full nose-down position.