Accident Summary
The airplane was on its third skydiving flight of the day. At rotation, the engine began to run roughly. Due to the speed of the airplane and the lack of remaining runway, the pilot decided to continue the takeoff. The pilot initially turned toward a public roadway for a forced landing, but the airplane continued to climb under partial power, so he maneuvered back to the airport for a downwind landing on the runway.
Pilot Actions
The airplane touched down between one-third and one-half of the way down the runway with an estimated 15-knot tailwind. It continued off the departure end, struck a fence, and came to rest.
Post-Accident Examination
The engine started and ran on the airframe. Further examination revealed that the number 2 cylinder produced no compression, and that filters, screens, and an oil sample contained high concentrations of ferrous and non-ferrous metal. Disassembly of the engine did not reveal the source of the metal. Disassembly of the left magneto and examination of the harness revealed that the top number 5 cylinder spark plug harness electrode was torn, melted, and bent 90 degrees. Examination of the magneto towers showed that the top number 5 cylinder tower and the bottom number 2 cylinder tower were burned through and displayed evidence of arcing. The distributor gear pointer was loose in its mount, and the distributor block contactors were excessively worn. The associated material from the pointer and the contactors coated the inside of the magneto. Examination of the engine log revealed that the engine had accumulated 369 total hours since major overhaul.