What happened
On February 19, 2015, a Cirrus SR22, registration N358CD, was involved in a runway overrun at Bluegrass Airport (LEX) in Lexington, Kentucky. The aircraft was attempting to depart for a cross-country flight to Pontiac, Michigan, under instrument flight rules.
During the takeoff roll on runway 22, the aircraft climbed to approximately 200 feet above ground level. At that altitude, the engine backfired several times, followed by a partial loss of power. The pilot elected to discontinue the flight, set the throttle to idle, and attempted to land on the remaining runway. The pilot reported having too much energy to stop the aircraft before it overran the end of the runway, where it collided with a snowbank and the precision approach path indicator lights. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the pilot and two passengers were not injured.
Witnesses near the runway observed the engine surge and heard loud popping sounds at approximately 200 feet altitude. The witness noted the airplane entered a nose-low attitude and bounced three times during the touchdown attempt before overrunning the runway.