What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated the flight was to return home about 2200 local. The pilot taxied on K17 and was cleared to line up and wait at runway 17. About a third of the way down the taxiway the aircraft was cleared for takeoff at a heading of 280. The airplane was rolled onto the runway but the pilot unknowingly positioned the airplane left of runway centerline. The pilot stated that his point of focus was the line painted on the run-way (not the lights), only he chose the wrong line to follow. During the takeoff roll, the left wing struck 16 runway edge lights. The pilot believed the tire blew so he taxied off K7 and stopped at atlantic tarmac. He then opened door and saw fuel spilling from the left wing, so he shut down the airplane and disconnected battery. The pilot called the tower and reported the fuel spill.
The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THE FLIGHT WAS TO RETURN HOME ABOUT 2200 LOCAL. THE PILOT TAXIED ON K17 AND WAS CLEARED TO LINE UP AND WAIT AT RUNWAY 17. ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY DOWN THE TAXIWAY THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF AT A HEADING OF 280. THE AIRPLANE WAS ROLLED ONTO THE RUNWAY BUT THE PILOT UNKNOWINGLY POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS POINT OF FOCUS WAS THE LINE PAINTED ON THE RUN-WAY (NOT THE LIGHTS), ONLY HE CHOSE THE WRONG LINE TO FOLLOW. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE LEFT WING STRUCK 16 RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS. THE PILOT BELIEVED THE TIRE BLEW SO HE TAXIED OFF K7 AND STOPPED AT ATLANTIC TARMAC. HE THEN OPENED DOOR AND SAW FUEL SPILLING FROM THE LEFT WING, SO HE SHUT DOWN THE AIRPLANE AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY. THE PILOT CALLED THE TOWER AND REPORTED THE FUEL SPILL.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.