Incident Overview
A flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was for a pilot undergoing instruction to practice touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the approach, the airplane was slightly fast and touched down about halfway down the runway.
Sequence of Events
The instructor initially thought the pilot could still successfully complete a takeoff and monitored as the pilot retracted the flaps. As the airplane continued down the runway, the instructor decided that the airplane’s climb performance would not be sufficient to clear obstacles at the end of the runway. He opted to abort the takeoff, retarded the throttle lever to the closed position, and told the pilot to apply maximum braking pressure.
The airplane subsequently went off the end of the runway into a grass field and continued about 100 feet before impacting a chain-link fence. During the accident sequence, the wing spar was substantially damaged.
Aircraft and Cockpit Configuration
The airplane’s brake pedals were only accessible to the left-seated person, which is where the pilot was positioned. The instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Instructor's Remarks
The instructor additionally stated that this accident could have been prevented by making a timely decision to go around when it was apparent that the airplane was going to touchdown further down the runway.