What happened
During the initial climb phase of takeoff, a Cessna (type not specified in source) settled back to the ground after lifting off from a runway. The aircraft reached 65 knots approximately two-thirds of the way down the 5,929-foot runway. Although the pilot applied slight elevator back pressure and attempted to remain in ground effect to continue acceleration, the airplane failed to accelerate and instead descended. The aircraft touched down just beyond the end of the runway, coming to a stop approximately 20 feet from the airport perimeter fence. During the excursion, the airplane collided with bushes and desert terrain, resulting in damage to the right wing and aft carry-through spars.
The accident occurred at an airport with an elevation of 4,780 feet MSL, while the density altitude was 6,692 feet MSL. The pilot noted that the takeoff ground roll required significantly more distance than expected, though he attributed this to the high elevation and outside air temperature. Prior to the accident, the pilot had completed a check-out in the rental aircraft the previous day.
The investigation
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed a test run of the engine following the accident, which revealed no operational anomalies. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's mixture leaning procedures, noting that the pilot had been instructed by a flight instructor to lean the mixture at 1,800 rpm and then richen it one full turn for elevations below 5,000 feet MSL. However, the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) specifies that the engine should be leaned using 2,600 rpm via the combined manifold and fuel flow indicator gauge.