The day began benignly enough. I flew to Las Vegas in midmorning to pick up a couple of friends and bring them back to Los Angeles. The flight up was routine, cruising at 7,500 feet, 15-knot headwind, but smooth and clear with unlimited visibility.
We put in 20 gallons at North Las Vegas, where the price was a bit lower than at my home field of Whiteman (WHP). During the takeoff roll something went wrong: a change in the exhaust note, a drop in the manifold pressure. I aborted and taxied off the side of the runway.
