Accident Sequence
After applying takeoff power, the pilot noticed that the aircraft was not accelerating and was being pulled left by a dragging left brake. Halfway down the runway, the pilot decided to abort the takeoff. However, upon realizing there was insufficient distance to stop, he continued the takeoff. The aircraft rotated late, and the pilot applied excessive back pressure on the yoke, causing the tail to strike the ground. After lifting off, the aircraft struck berry bushes and several trees. It then impacted the top of another tree, which induced a stall. The aircraft impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude and came to rest on a 20-degree downhill slope of a ravine.
Damage
Both wings and the firewall sustained substantial damage.
Post-Accident Findings
The pilot's son, also a pilot, stated that he had experienced similar issues with the left brake on prior occasions, and that they would taxi the aircraft until the brake released. A post-accident examination of the left brake revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.