Incident Overview
A pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that, after completing a preflight inspection and engine run-up, he taxied the airplane for departure. During the takeoff roll, as the airplane rotated off the runway, the pilot noted that the control yoke felt "heavy." Approximately 25 feet above the ground, the pilot decided to abort the takeoff and pitched the airplane's nose down.
Sequence of Events
The airplane contacted the runway, bounced, and became airborne again. Upon touching down a second time in a nose-down attitude, the propeller struck the runway, causing the nose landing gear to collapse. The airplane then skidded off the right side of the runway and came to rest inverted.
Damage and Findings
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, right wing, and engine firewall. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the elevator trim wheel was set approximately halfway between the neutral trim and full nose-down trim positions.