Incident Details
During the takeoff roll, the pilot's seat unexpectedly slid rearward. The pilot reported that with the nose of the airplane high, forward visibility became limited. He felt several bumps before being able to slide the seat forward and abort the takeoff. After the abort, the pilot taxied back to the runway and departed for Kenosha, noting that the airplane seemed to lack power during the flight.
Cause of Seat Movement
The pilot stated that he was attempting to attach a handheld GPS unit to his leg with a cable when the seat slid back. He believed that the cable most likely became attached to the seat adjustment lever, causing the lever to move and the seat to slide rearward.
Damage Assessment
The accident resulted in damage to the airplane, including buckling and puncture damage to the lower fuselage, engine cowling, and left horizontal stabilizer. Firewall damage was also noted. One propeller tip was missing, and the other propeller tip was damaged. A section of the exhaust system was crushed. The aircraft collided with a runway end identifier light control box during the loss of control.