Narrative:

Scheduled flight between bluefield and beckley, wv, was departing bluefield with 1 passenger and 2 crew members. At 70 KTS captain was transferring directional control from the tiller (nose wheel steering) to rudders when aircraft made an abrupt turn at approximately 45 degrees and left the runway and entered the grassy area between runway 23 and the taxiway. The aircraft continued out of control for approximately 1500-2000 ft before coming to a stop in the median area. No injuries were sustained by the passenger or crew. Aircraft was towed by ground crew to secure area and FAA representatives notified. Cause of the abrupt turn is not known at the present time. Full right rudder pressure and differential power were used by the captain in his attempt to maintain directional control, however, the aircraft did not respond to these attempts. Loss of control was instantaneous with the captain's release of tiller control with no prior indications of problems during this flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR LTT ACFT ABORTED TKOF AFTER LOSING DIRECTIONAL CTL DURING THE TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FLT BTWN BLUEFIELD AND BECKLEY, WV, WAS DEPARTING BLUEFIELD WITH 1 PAX AND 2 CREW MEMBERS. AT 70 KTS CAPT WAS TRANSFERRING DIRECTIONAL CTL FROM THE TILLER (NOSE WHEEL STEERING) TO RUDDERS WHEN ACFT MADE AN ABRUPT TURN AT APPROX 45 DEGS AND LEFT THE RWY AND ENTERED THE GRASSY AREA BTWN RWY 23 AND THE TAXIWAY. THE ACFT CONTINUED OUT OF CTL FOR APPROX 1500-2000 FT BEFORE COMING TO A STOP IN THE MEDIAN AREA. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE PAX OR CREW. ACFT WAS TOWED BY GND CREW TO SECURE AREA AND FAA REPRESENTATIVES NOTIFIED. CAUSE OF THE ABRUPT TURN IS NOT KNOWN AT THE PRESENT TIME. FULL R RUDDER PRESSURE AND DIFFERENTIAL PWR WERE USED BY THE CAPT IN HIS ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL, HOWEVER, THE ACFT DID NOT RESPOND TO THESE ATTEMPTS. LOSS OF CTL WAS INSTANTANEOUS WITH THE CAPT'S RELEASE OF TILLER CTL WITH NO PRIOR INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS DURING THIS FLT.

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.