Event Description
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll on runway 17, the airplane accelerated to 65 knots after traveling approximately 2,100 feet down the 4,210-foot runway. The airplane remained in ground effect for about 1,000 additional feet but did not climb. Fearing a collision with obstacles beyond the runway end, the pilot aborted the takeoff.
During the subsequent landing, the airplane bounced upon touchdown. When it descended back to the runway, the pilot immediately applied the brakes. The airplane then exited the left side of the runway before the runway threshold, continued for about 120 feet, and collided with a chain link fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the lower left fuselage.
Aircraft Performance Data
The pilot reported that the departure weight of the airplane was 2,395.5 pounds. According to the manufacturer, the maximum takeoff weight for the airplane was 2,450 pounds.
The manufacturer's pilot operating handbook (POH) indicated that under the reported weather conditions, the minimum ground roll was about 2,249 feet, and the minimum distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle was about 3,701 feet. The normal distance to land would have been about 901 feet.
The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather and Conditions
The METAR at the accident airport, recorded around the time of the event, reported wind from 200° at 8 knots and a temperature of 73°F. The field elevation was 4,862 feet, and the density altitude was 6,682 feet.
According to FAA-H-8083-25A, The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 10 (Aircraft Performance) page 16, the most critical conditions of landing performance are combinations of high gross weight, high density altitude, and unfavorable wind. These conditions produce the greatest required landing distances and critical levels of energy dissipation required of the brakes. The text also states that an accurate prediction of minimum landing distance is necessary to compare with the available runway, and that a polished, professional landing procedure is necessary because the landing phase accounts for more pilot-caused aircraft accidents than any other single phase of flight.