What happened
On the day of the accident, an unspecified aircraft was performing a normal takeoff procedure at an airport with an elevation of 1,071 feet MSL. The ambient temperature was 79 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in a density altitude of approximately 2,487 feet MSL. During the takeoff roll on a 3,640-foot asphalt runway, the aircraft became airborne at 80 knots indicated airspeed.
Due to an elevator trim setting, the nose rose excessively, requiring the pilot to apply forward pressure on the yoke. While the aircraft accelerated to 90 knots, it initially remained within ground effect and entered a very slow climb. In an attempt to clean up the aircraft configuration, the pilot retracted the landing gear and the 10 degrees of flap extension. Following this configuration change, the airplane sank at the end of the runway, prompting the pilot to abort the takeoff.
The investigation
A test run of the engine during the investigation revealed that it was producing approximately 4.5 percent less than the maximum Brake Horsepower (BHP). An examination of the engine determined that the throttle adjustment was incorrect according to a manufacturer service instruction. Records indicated that while the throttle had been adjusted during a recent annual inspection, there was no documentation showing that the specific manufacturer service instruction had been followed.