Narrative:

I was flying to mesa; az; and observed WX which was at 50 mi north of my line of flight. I elected to land at sow to check with flight service and refuel the plane. Runway 21 and runway 24 intersect at the departure end of both runways. I called on the unicom frequency 123.0 for advisory but got no response. I broadcast in the blind that I was making a straight in landing on runway 24. I encounter a great deal of turbulence during the approach and it was very difficult for me to land on runway 24 because of the turbulence and crosswind. I should have landed on runway 21 which would have been more into the wind. After talking to flight service and fueling at show low; I taxied to runway 21; did a run up; leaned the engine for altitude and departed on runway 21; 3937 ft. Density altitude at the time was at 7800 ft. I rotated about half way down the runway. The plane began to climb very slowly; much more slowly than I ever could imagine. The town of show low was in front of me; I was only about 300 ft AGL and the terrain beyond the town and to my left was rising. Since both runways 21 and 24 begin at the same place; I knew that there was no plane on the runway to or in position to take off on runway 24. I made a right turn to lower terrain without any radio broadcast; watched for any traffic; and was able to fly the plane to the north and climb. If I had all of this to do over; I would not have refueled the plane which had 3 hours of fuel after landing at sow. I would have elected to use runway 24; 7000 ft for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24 PLT DEPARTED SOW RWY 21 WITH A DENSITY ALT OF 7800 FT BARELY CLRED A NEARBY TOWN. RWY 24'S 7000 FT TKOF DISTANCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING TO MESA; AZ; AND OBSERVED WX WHICH WAS AT 50 MI N OF MY LINE OF FLT. I ELECTED TO LAND AT SOW TO CHK WITH FLT SVC AND REFUEL THE PLANE. RWY 21 AND RWY 24 INTERSECT AT THE DEP END OF BOTH RWYS. I CALLED ON THE UNICOM FREQ 123.0 FOR ADVISORY BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I BROADCAST IN THE BLIND THAT I WAS MAKING A STRAIGHT IN LNDG ON RWY 24. I ENCOUNTER A GREAT DEAL OF TURB DURING THE APCH AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO LAND ON RWY 24 BECAUSE OF THE TURB AND XWIND. I SHOULD HAVE LANDED ON RWY 21 WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INTO THE WIND. AFTER TALKING TO FLT SVC AND FUELING AT SHOW LOW; I TAXIED TO RWY 21; DID A RUN UP; LEANED THE ENG FOR ALT AND DEPARTED ON RWY 21; 3937 FT. DENSITY ALT AT THE TIME WAS AT 7800 FT. I ROTATED ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RWY. THE PLANE BEGAN TO CLB VERY SLOWLY; MUCH MORE SLOWLY THAN I EVER COULD IMAGINE. THE TOWN OF SHOW LOW WAS IN FRONT OF ME; I WAS ONLY ABOUT 300 FT AGL AND THE TERRAIN BEYOND THE TOWN AND TO MY L WAS RISING. SINCE BOTH RWYS 21 AND 24 BEGIN AT THE SAME PLACE; I KNEW THAT THERE WAS NO PLANE ON THE RWY TO OR IN POS TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 24. I MADE A R TURN TO LOWER TERRAIN WITHOUT ANY RADIO BROADCAST; WATCHED FOR ANY TFC; AND WAS ABLE TO FLY THE PLANE TO THE N AND CLB. IF I HAD ALL OF THIS TO DO OVER; I WOULD NOT HAVE REFUELED THE PLANE WHICH HAD 3 HRS OF FUEL AFTER LNDG AT SOW. I WOULD HAVE ELECTED TO USE RWY 24; 7000 FT FOR TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.