Narrative:

On takeoff; the C172 was sluggish and could climb perhaps only 300 FPM. Yet; we were lightly loaded; a total of 430 pounds in the cabin and full fuel. We should have been well more than 200 pounds below maximum takeoff weight and the temperature was around 45 degrees F. We climbed to 7500 ft and headed to do a touch-and-go at bjc. We were cleared to touch-and-go on runway 29L. It looked shorter than its 7000 ft length. I approached using no flaps and floated down a substantial portion of the runway. As soon as I briefly touched the runway; I gave the cessna full throttle. We barely climbed and once settled down a little. The end of the runway was too close to stop on the remaining runway; so I managed attitude to hold 70 KTS and we climbed barely more than 200 FPM. By the time we were over a housing development 1/2 mi off the end of the runway; we were perhaps 300 ft AGL. I banked slightly to the left to maximize clearance with a 4-STORY building just beyond the development and continued to climb to clear a ridge by perhaps 200 ft and about 1 mi from the runway end. Then the ground fell away; the plane continued to climb; slowly; and eventually after 1 min or so; we headed back south where we landed at ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT AND AT LEAST ONE PAX EXPERIENCE LIMITED CLIMB PERFORMANCE UPON TKOF FROM HIGH ALT ARPT. PROCEED TO SHOOT TOUCH AND GO AT ANOTHER ARPT WHERE CLIMB PERFORMANCE WAS SUCH THAT THEY PASS OVER POPULATED AREAS AT ONLY +/- 200 AGL.

Narrative: ON TKOF; THE C172 WAS SLUGGISH AND COULD CLB PERHAPS ONLY 300 FPM. YET; WE WERE LIGHTLY LOADED; A TOTAL OF 430 LBS IN THE CABIN AND FULL FUEL. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELL MORE THAN 200 LBS BELOW MAX TKOF WT AND THE TEMP WAS AROUND 45 DEGS F. WE CLBED TO 7500 FT AND HEADED TO DO A TOUCH-AND-GO AT BJC. WE WERE CLRED TO TOUCH-AND-GO ON RWY 29L. IT LOOKED SHORTER THAN ITS 7000 FT LENGTH. I APCHED USING NO FLAPS AND FLOATED DOWN A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE RWY. AS SOON AS I BRIEFLY TOUCHED THE RWY; I GAVE THE CESSNA FULL THROTTLE. WE BARELY CLBED AND ONCE SETTLED DOWN A LITTLE. THE END OF THE RWY WAS TOO CLOSE TO STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY; SO I MANAGED ATTITUDE TO HOLD 70 KTS AND WE CLBED BARELY MORE THAN 200 FPM. BY THE TIME WE WERE OVER A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT 1/2 MI OFF THE END OF THE RWY; WE WERE PERHAPS 300 FT AGL. I BANKED SLIGHTLY TO THE L TO MAXIMIZE CLRNC WITH A 4-STORY BUILDING JUST BEYOND THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUED TO CLB TO CLR A RIDGE BY PERHAPS 200 FT AND ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE RWY END. THEN THE GND FELL AWAY; THE PLANE CONTINUED TO CLB; SLOWLY; AND EVENTUALLY AFTER 1 MIN OR SO; WE HEADED BACK S WHERE WE LANDED AT ZZZ.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.