Narrative:

Cleared for takeoff runway 17 cos. Taxied onto runway and when aligned, copilot advanced throttles for takeoff. As acceleration was building, aircraft started a slight drift to the right. Copilot countered drift with left rudder. Right drift became more pronounced and was aggressively countered by increased left rudder. When it became apparent that further corrective action was necessary, I took control of the aircraft, retarded all 3 throttles to idle, then added power on #3 engine in an attempt to keep aircraft on runway. #3 throttle was then closed and #1 throttle advanced to keep aircraft from going off left side of runway. It became obvious that aircraft would exit now on the right side. After exiting the runway, throttles were closed and reverse thrust applied to stop aircraft. In the process, aircraft came back to the left across the runway, exiting the left side and stopping parallel to runway. Aircraft was parked, passengers and flight attendants were told to remain seated, APU was started, engines shut down and parking check completed. Copilot notified tower of our first runway excursion before we came to a stop off the left side. Voice recorder circuit breaker was pulled at approximately AM16 MST to preserve pertinent voice data. I am not sure this incident could have been avoided short of not attempting the departure. I would like to see engineering data regarding nose wheel loading with 2 1/2 units stabilizer trim on an aircraft weighing 294000 pounds with power advanced to the takeoff range. Supplemental information from acn 192973. Runway conditions were: 1/4 inch snow over packed powder reported by ATIS information. Braking action was improved from 'poor to nil' by PIREP to 'fair' by airport operations using the tappley system (36.4). I feel more information on low speed directional control problems should be made available both in school and incorporated into the flight manuals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY EXCURSION ON ACR WDB TKOF AFTER FO APPLIES TKOF PWR AND CAPT ASSUMES CTL DURING LOSS OF ACFT CTL. TKOF ABORTED BY CAPT.

Narrative: CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 17 COS. TAXIED ONTO RWY AND WHEN ALIGNED, COPLT ADVANCED THROTTLES FOR TKOF. AS ACCELERATION WAS BUILDING, ACFT STARTED A SLIGHT DRIFT TO THE R. COPLT COUNTERED DRIFT WITH L RUDDER. R DRIFT BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED AND WAS AGGRESSIVELY COUNTERED BY INCREASED L RUDDER. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT FURTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS NECESSARY, I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT, RETARDED ALL 3 THROTTLES TO IDLE, THEN ADDED PWR ON #3 ENG IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP ACFT ON RWY. #3 THROTTLE WAS THEN CLOSED AND #1 THROTTLE ADVANCED TO KEEP ACFT FROM GOING OFF L SIDE OF RWY. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT ACFT WOULD EXIT NOW ON THE R SIDE. AFTER EXITING THE RWY, THROTTLES WERE CLOSED AND REVERSE THRUST APPLIED TO STOP ACFT. IN THE PROCESS, ACFT CAME BACK TO THE L ACROSS THE RWY, EXITING THE L SIDE AND STOPPING PARALLEL TO RWY. ACFT WAS PARKED, PAXS AND FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TOLD TO REMAIN SEATED, APU WAS STARTED, ENGS SHUT DOWN AND PARKING CHK COMPLETED. COPLT NOTIFIED TWR OF OUR FIRST RWY EXCURSION BEFORE WE CAME TO A STOP OFF THE L SIDE. VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED AT APPROX AM16 MST TO PRESERVE PERTINENT VOICE DATA. I AM NOT SURE THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED SHORT OF NOT ATTEMPTING THE DEP. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ENGINEERING DATA REGARDING NOSE WHEEL LOADING WITH 2 1/2 UNITS STABILIZER TRIM ON AN ACFT WEIGHING 294000 POUNDS WITH PWR ADVANCED TO THE TKOF RANGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 192973. RWY CONDITIONS WERE: 1/4 INCH SNOW OVER PACKED POWDER RPTED BY ATIS INFO. BRAKING ACTION WAS IMPROVED FROM 'POOR TO NIL' BY PIREP TO 'FAIR' BY ARPT OPS USING THE TAPPLEY SYS (36.4). I FEEL MORE INFO ON LOW SPD DIRECTIONAL CTL PROBLEMS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE BOTH IN SCHOOL AND INCORPORATED INTO THE FLT MANUALS.

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.