NTSB Factual Report

On June 3, 2018, about 0945 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N8698, was substantially damaged during a rejected takeoff at a private field in Warsaw, Kentucky. The airline transport pilot was not injured. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local, personal flight. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, the preflight inspection, engine start, taxi and engine runup were normal. During takeoff he applied full power and the initial takeoff roll was normal, however as the airspeed reached 60 mph, he noticed "the aircraft acceleration to not be normal." He determined that the airplane would not clear the trees at the end of the runway, and that he would be unable stop the airplane before the end of the runway. Subsequently, he rejected the takeoff, applied right rudder, and the airplane ground-looped and stopped.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the rear window. Fuel was present in both wing tanks. The propeller was rotated by hand; thumb compression and suction were confirmed on all four cylinders. All engine controls were intact from the cockpit to their respective location on the engine. The air intake was unobstructed. The carburetor inlet screen was absent of debris, and the carburetor bowl contained fuel.

The airport was a private unpublished turf field with one runway, 1,100 feet long by 125 feet wide oriented north-south, with an elevation of about 850 feet which increased (uphill) toward the north, which was the direction of the takeoff. The grass was "short" and had recently been mowed.

According to FAA airmen records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He held a Basic Medical certification. The pilot reported a total of 14,500 hours of flight experience, of which 250 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane.

At 0952, the reported weather at the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Covington, Kentucky, about 16 nautical miles north of the accident site included wind from 290° at 12 knots, the temperature was 24° C, and the dew point was 20° C.