Accident Overview
During an aborted takeoff, a Piper 22 ground looped and nosed over approximately 200 feet from the departure end of Runway 03 at Johnson Field. The airplane came to rest inverted, with the nose gear bent aft and the engine firewall buckled. Additional damage was sustained to the right wing, fuselage, propeller, and engine cowling.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that after rotating the airplane off the ground at 55 knots, the airplane felt as if it did not want to climb. Believing he would be unable to clear trees at the departure end of the runway, the pilot decided to abort the takeoff with about 400 feet of runway remaining. During the abort, the pilot landed the airplane back on the runway, where it ground looped and eventually came to rest.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination of the flight control surfaces revealed no mechanical failures. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction with the airplane prior to or during the incident.
Runway and Performance Data
Runway 03 at Johnson Field is 2,070 feet long and 75 feet wide. According to performance data for the Piper 22, the normal takeoff ground roll is 950 feet, and the distance required to take off and clear a 50-foot obstacle is 1,500 feet.