Narrative:

I taxied out for departure on runway 36 at rice lake (rie). Brakes had been frozen. I broke them loose with power being added to get out of snow. At the turn around end for runway 36 there was a great deal of snow around the edges of the turn around which did not leave very much room for turning the airplane. I locked the left brake and applied power on the right engine which caused the nose to slide on some ice at the turn around. Nose tire hit black top and chattered. I lined up with the runway and performed a run- up. The winds were blowing snow across the runway causing drifts on both the east and west side of the runway approximately 3-8 inches deep. Winds were 290-300 at 20 with possible gusts over 30. Visibility was restr due to snow. We had just received 16 inches of snow in the last 24 hours. There was 18 inch snow banks on the edge of the runway inside of the runway lights. I eased power on and started my takeoff roll. The aircraft began to move to the right side of the runway. I had full left aileron applied and began to feed in left rudder. Airspeed increased to about 70 KTS, aircraft continued to the right. I applied more and more left rudder. Directional control could not be maintained. I reduced power. The aircraft nose suddenly dropped and veered sharply to the right. Both propellers hit and the aircraft came to a stop just off the right side of the runway. I feel that during the sharp turn something was cracked in the nose gear and during the takeoff roll it let go causing the loss of directional control. I feel that sharp turns on combination of ice and dry turn around surfaces should be avoided. Wider smoother turns are necessary in such WX to avoid damaging the nose gear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER SMT PLT LOST CTL OF THE ACFT DURING TKOF ON SNOW COVERED RWY IN A STRONG GUSTY XWIND.

Narrative: I TAXIED OUT FOR DEP ON RWY 36 AT RICE LAKE (RIE). BRAKES HAD BEEN FROZEN. I BROKE THEM LOOSE WITH PWR BEING ADDED TO GET OUT OF SNOW. AT THE TURN AROUND END FOR RWY 36 THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF SNOW AROUND THE EDGES OF THE TURN AROUND WHICH DID NOT LEAVE VERY MUCH ROOM FOR TURNING THE AIRPLANE. I LOCKED THE L BRAKE AND APPLIED PWR ON THE R ENG WHICH CAUSED THE NOSE TO SLIDE ON SOME ICE AT THE TURN AROUND. NOSE TIRE HIT BLACK TOP AND CHATTERED. I LINED UP WITH THE RWY AND PERFORMED A RUN- UP. THE WINDS WERE BLOWING SNOW ACROSS THE RWY CAUSING DRIFTS ON BOTH THE E AND W SIDE OF THE RWY APPROX 3-8 INCHES DEEP. WINDS WERE 290-300 AT 20 WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS OVER 30. VISIBILITY WAS RESTR DUE TO SNOW. WE HAD JUST RECEIVED 16 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE LAST 24 HRS. THERE WAS 18 INCH SNOW BANKS ON THE EDGE OF THE RWY INSIDE OF THE RWY LIGHTS. I EASED PWR ON AND STARTED MY TKOF ROLL. THE ACFT BEGAN TO MOVE TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. I HAD FULL L AILERON APPLIED AND BEGAN TO FEED IN L RUDDER. AIRSPD INCREASED TO ABOUT 70 KTS, ACFT CONTINUED TO THE R. I APPLIED MORE AND MORE L RUDDER. DIRECTIONAL CTL COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. I REDUCED PWR. THE ACFT NOSE SUDDENLY DROPPED AND VEERED SHARPLY TO THE R. BOTH PROPS HIT AND THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP JUST OFF THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. I FEEL THAT DURING THE SHARP TURN SOMETHING WAS CRACKED IN THE NOSE GEAR AND DURING THE TKOF ROLL IT LET GO CAUSING THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CTL. I FEEL THAT SHARP TURNS ON COMBINATION OF ICE AND DRY TURN AROUND SURFACES SHOULD BE AVOIDED. WIDER SMOOTHER TURNS ARE NECESSARY IN SUCH WX TO AVOID DAMAGING THE NOSE GEAR.

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.