Factual Account
The pilot conducted a preflight inspection, started the engine, and performed magneto and carburetor heat checks. After taxiing approximately 1,500 feet for takeoff, the pilot waited with the engine at idle while four other airplanes landed and the airplane in front took off. The pilot then selected takeoff flaps and takeoff trim. During the takeoff roll, the pilot felt the airplane was not accelerating normally but attributed this to summer temperatures. About 1,000 feet down the runway, the airplane briefly broke ground, then settled back onto the runway and became airborne again after about 100 feet. After becoming airborne, the pilot felt that the airplane was not accelerating normally, so he pushed the yoke forward and raised the flaps. The airplane subsequently drifted off the left side of the runway, settled into a parked airplane, continued up an embankment, and came to rest partially on a road.
Pilot Statement
In a statement provided several months after the accident, the pilot reported that the engine "was not running" when the airplane settled into the parked airplane.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical discrepancies that could have contributed to the accident. The fuel was checked and found to be clear, blue in color, and absent of debris. A carburetor icing probability chart indicated that ambient conditions at the time of the accident could have resulted in moderate icing at cruise power or serious icing at glide power. According to a maintenance technician, the engine was susceptible to carburetor icing on the ground due to the position of the air intake manifold. After a ground run-up conducted subsequent to the accident, the carburetor box was cold to the touch.