CARDINAL PLT ABORTS TKOF AS ACFT FAILS TO CLB.

Narrative

I WAS PILOTING MY 1968 CESSNA CARDINAL (150 HP) AND WAS ABOUT TO TAKE MY SON-IN-LAW AND 3 SMALL GRANDCHILDREN ON A SIGHTSEEING TRIP OVER THEIR HOUSE. WT AND BAL COMPUTATIONS INDICATED THE WT WAS WITHIN THE LIMITS PRESCRIBED BY THE MANUFACTURER. TEMP WAS 82 DEGS; FIELD ELEVATION 171; RWY LENGTH 3000 FT. THE TKOF ROLL WAS 'NORMAL' AND I ROTATED AT 65 MPH AS PER ACFT SPECS. TKOF ALSO CALLS FOR 10 DEG FLAPS. UPON LIFTING OFF AND REACHING AN ALT OF APPROX 30 FT I SENSED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT GAINING ANY MORE ALT. THE ENG SEEMED TO BE PERFORMING NORMALLY; BUT I COULD FEEL THE PLANE WAS NOT CLBING. A LINE OF TREES LOOMED APPROX 2500 FT AHEAD. I MADE THE DECISION TO ABORT THE TKOF BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO ENDANGER THE LIVES OF MY PAX. I LANDED HARD ON THE REMAINING 100 FT OF RWY AND PROCEEDED OFF INTO THE GRASSY KNOLL NEAR THE RWY END. THE PLANE SKIDDED ABOUT 100 FT BEFORE STOPPING. FORTUNATELY; NO ONE WAS INJURED; AND ALL EXITED THE PLANE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. DAMAGE TO THE PLANE INCLUDED BROKEN NOSEWHEEL; BENT R WHEEL; BENT PROP TIPS; BENT FIREWALL. WHILE I HAVE TAKEN MANY FLTS WITH SIMILAR WT (540 LBS) UNDER WHAT I PERCEIVED TO BE SIMILAR METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS; APPARENTLY SOMETHING WAS 'DIFFERENT' ON THIS DAY. PERHAPS THE PERFORMANCE SPECS LISTED IN THE BOOK LULLED ME INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD PERFORM TODAY AS IT HAD 28 YRS AGO; WHEN IT CAME OUT OF THE FACTORY. HAD I BEEN MAKING SOME MENTAL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PERFORMANCE SPECS; PARTICULARLY IN HOT WX FLTS; I MAY HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE THAT THE 150 HP ENG MAY NOT BE WHAT IT 'USED TO BE.' I FELT MY DECISION TO ABORT WAS THE RIGHT ONE; IN VIEW OF THE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF ACCIDENT RPTS I HAVE READ IN WHICH PLTS CONTINUED ON INTO FURTHER DANGER AFTER AN EMER BEGAN TO DEVELOP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THE NTSB CONSIDERS THIS AN INCIDENT. FAA HAS GIVEN RPTR A RECERTIFICATION RIDE WHICH HE PASSED WELL. THE FAA DID QUESTION HIM REGARDING DENSITY ALT CALCULATIONS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALLED THE ACFT SO RPTR HAS NO WAY TO KNOW IF THERE WAS AN ENG PROB OR NOT. FAA REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED THE CARDINAL WITH 150 HP IS NOT A GREAT PERFORMER. RPTR AGREES.