Accident Summary
A pilot stated that during the engine run-up check, he discovered the rear engine had shut down. He restarted the rear engine, leaned the fuel mixture, and performed a magneto check. After taxiing to the hold short line for runway 26, he announced his departure on the Unicom frequency and positioned the airplane onto the runway. He partially advanced the rear engine throttle, causing the airplane to move forward. Hearing an aircraft report final, he was uncertain whether the broadcast was for runway 26 or 36. To avoid any conflict, he advanced both throttles fully forward.
The airplane accelerated to 70 knots and rotated approximately 1,000 feet down the runway. After lifting off, the airplane did not continue to accelerate. Glancing inside the cockpit, the pilot noticed the fuel mixtures were not full forward. He advanced the mixtures and looked outside, finding the airplane about two-thirds of the way down the runway and at an altitude of about 100 feet. He elected to abort the takeoff at that point. He retarded the throttles and selected the flaps full up to set the airplane on its wheels. As the wheels touched down, the airplane slammed into the ground in a nose-high attitude. The pilot believes the airplane bounced once and came to rest on its nose and propeller in the dirt, approximately 50 feet from the left edge of the runway and about 500 feet past the runway end. He secured the airplane and exited through the entry door.
The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or its systems prior to the accident.
Runway Information
Runway 26 at Ocala International Airport is published as 3,010 feet long.