NTSB Factual Report

On July 6, 2004, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Grumman American AA-1, N5903L, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio. The certificated private pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot was attempting his second takeoff from runway 22, a 3,568-foot-long, asphalt runway. He reported that the airplane's short field takeoff speed was 80 mph. During the pilot's first takeoff attempt, the canopy was open, and he aborted the takeoff past mid-field, after reaching a speed of 73 mph. During the second takeoff attempt, with the canopy closed, the airplane accelerated to 80 mph and began to climb. The airplane stopped climbing after reaching an altitude of about 30 feet, and the pilot then realized that he would not clear trees located at the end of a soybean field, beyond the runway. The pilot attempted to land in the soybean field, however, the airplane flipped over.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, witnesses reported that the airplane did not become airborne until the last third of the runway. The airplane's nose was pitched up higher than usual, and the airplane cleared the airport boundary fence by only 5 to 10 feet.

The airplane was equipped with a 108-horsepower, Lycoming O-235 series engine. A weight and balance calculation performed after the accident, by the pilot and an FAA inspector revealed that the airplane was about 100 pounds above it's maximum gross takeoff weight. In addition, the runway sloped upward, approximately 30 feet, between the respective touchdown zones of runways 22 and 4.

The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He reported 345 hours of total flight experience, which included 75 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.

The weather reported at an airport about 10 miles west of the accident site, at 1453, included calm winds, and a temperature and dew point of 86 and 68 degrees F, respectively; which corresponded with a density altitude of about 3,000 feet at the accident site. The pilot reported that the airplane's outside air temperature gauge indicated 33.1 degrees C (91 degrees F).

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight preparation which failed to assure the takeoff performance needed to out climb obstacles. Factors in this accident were the up sloping runway, the high density altitude, and airplane being loaded above it's maximum gross weight.