Accident Overview
A pilot/owner of a homebuilt airplane initiated a takeoff roll. Upon rotation, the airplane pulled "hard" to the left and pitched up "more aggressively" than during a standard takeoff. The pilot applied full down elevator, "but the nose would not come down." Subsequently, the airplane pitched nose down; the pilot then applied full up elevator, and the airplane attained a level pitch attitude prior to ground contact.
Pilot Observations
The pilot/owner reported that "everything was perfect with the engine." He noted feeling a bump around the time of rotation and surmised that he had struck a runway light or that a wheel brake had locked.
Examination Findings
Examination of the airplane revealed an ink pen lodged beneath the rudder bar. As a result, more force was required for a right rudder input than a left rudder input. The pilot/owner stated that he routinely stored pens, unsecured, on the ledge next to his right knee.
Further examination disclosed a 50-ounce glass jar beneath the front seat, in close proximity to the forward control stick. The jar's lid displayed indentations that the pilot said had not been present prior to the accident. He explained that the jar was kept in the airplane as a relief container and that it was placed on a ledge, unsecured, before takeoff.