The pilot reported that as he tried to take off in the Piper PA-28 from his turf airstrip in Auburn, Indiana, he attempted to force the airplane into the air.
After a brief ascent, the airplane descended to the ground and touched down hard.
The pilot continued the sequence of lifting off and then touching down again until he determined that he would not be able to clear the trees at the end of the runway.
He made a left turn, and the airplane traveled through two fields, hit a ditch, and collided with a barn. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had aborted the takeoff after the first bounce.
The pilot added that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to continue to attempt to take off despite the airplane’s inability to attain a positive climb rate, which resulted in little runway remaining, and his subsequent decision to turn off the runway, which resulted in a collision with a barn.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA336
This June 2017 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Some extra information that puts this one into perspective:
DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched on Friday to a site on County Road 37 east of Auburn, where they had been told a plane had crashed into a house. In fact, it had rolled, not fallen, into the patio of a pole barn.
The pilot of the 1965 Piper Cherokee 140 plane – Michael Mooney, 74 – came out of the crash was bruises on his face, but nothing more serious.
He told investigators the crash happened on Thursday as he attempted to take off. However, the grassy field he was using as an airstrip was too rough, and he lost control. The plane was never in the air.
You should not have to FORCE an aircraft into the air, it usually does not go very well from that point. No extra information provided on why the aircraft did not perform well, maybe engine issues maybe or field conditions that caused excessive drag to the gear and retarded performance maybe?