Narrative:

I was practicing a touch and go at night with no landing light. I had set up a steep descent with the trim tab adjusted high. When I entered ground effect the skyhawk ballooned slightly and the landing was extended further down the runway. On touchdown I applied full power, retreated the flaps and turned off carburetor heat. When I reached vr of 55 KTS, I pulled back gently on the yoke but didn't lift off. The airspeed indicator increased to 60 KTS then 65 KTS. By now at this speed I should have lifted off at a horizontal attitude. I was pulling back much harder than normal and I was further down the runway than I had ever been before becoming airborne. Rather than forcing the yoke back, I pulled the power, made sure the flaps were up and applied the brakes and started skidding. I guided the plane to the left side of the runway threshold to miss the lights. The plane went 30 ft into the grass, and I turned to the left to re-enter the runway but the left main tire had blown and the plane remained in the grass. I don't believe this would have occurred during daylight. I don't think I would have been as unsure of the remaining runway and either aborted the takeoff earlier or forced the rotation. Night VFR certainly adds a whole additional set of uncertainties. Both main gear tires were replaced and the aircraft was flying the next day. Making the decision to liftoff after a long landing placed me too far down the runway to abort when the trim problem arose. There were no injuries and no substantial damage to the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ABORTED TKOF ON NIGHT TOUCH AND GO WHEN THE AIRPLANE DID NOT RESPOND TO ELEVATOR APPLICATION AS EXPECTED.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING A TOUCH AND GO AT NIGHT WITH NO LNDG LIGHT. I HAD SET UP A STEEP DSCNT WITH THE TRIM TAB ADJUSTED HIGH. WHEN I ENTERED GND EFFECT THE SKYHAWK BALLOONED SLIGHTLY AND THE LNDG WAS EXTENDED FURTHER DOWN THE RWY. ON TOUCHDOWN I APPLIED FULL PWR, RETREATED THE FLAPS AND TURNED OFF CARB HEAT. WHEN I REACHED VR OF 55 KTS, I PULLED BACK GENTLY ON THE YOKE BUT DIDN'T LIFT OFF. THE AIRSPD INDICATOR INCREASED TO 60 KTS THEN 65 KTS. BY NOW AT THIS SPD I SHOULD HAVE LIFTED OFF AT A HORIZ ATTITUDE. I WAS PULLING BACK MUCH HARDER THAN NORMAL AND I WAS FURTHER DOWN THE RWY THAN I HAD EVER BEEN BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE. RATHER THAN FORCING THE YOKE BACK, I PULLED THE PWR, MADE SURE THE FLAPS WERE UP AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AND STARTED SKIDDING. I GUIDED THE PLANE TO THE L SIDE OF THE RWY THRESHOLD TO MISS THE LIGHTS. THE PLANE WENT 30 FT INTO THE GRASS, AND I TURNED TO THE L TO RE-ENTER THE RWY BUT THE L MAIN TIRE HAD BLOWN AND THE PLANE REMAINED IN THE GRASS. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING DAYLIGHT. I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN AS UNSURE OF THE REMAINING RWY AND EITHER ABORTED THE TKOF EARLIER OR FORCED THE ROTATION. NIGHT VFR CERTAINLY ADDS A WHOLE ADDITIONAL SET OF UNCERTAINTIES. BOTH MAIN GEAR TIRES WERE REPLACED AND THE ACFT WAS FLYING THE NEXT DAY. MAKING THE DECISION TO LIFTOFF AFTER A LONG LNDG PLACED ME TOO FAR DOWN THE RWY TO ABORT WHEN THE TRIM PROBLEM AROSE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.