Narrative:

The airplane was in an unheated hangar overnight with a temperature of approximately -10 degrees F. At the time of departure that day, it was -5 degrees F. We taxied to runway 28 and waited for the oil temperature to reach the bottom of the green arc, then began takeoff roll. As the power was increased, the left engine began to surge. Power was fluctuating between 900 pound torque and 1700 pound torque (approximately). Several attempts were made to steady the power by moving the left hand power lever. By this time the airplane was roughly 20-30 ft in the air and the decision was made to abort the takeoff. The power was reduced to flight idle and set back down on the runway. Maximum reverse pitch with propellers and braking was applied. We did not have sufficient runway to stop and went through a snow bank and into a field. Possible causes of the problem could be that the airplane was extremely cold and components such as the fuel computer and fuel control unit did not have sufficient time to warm up. This could have been avoided by getting a good pre-heat on the engines or running up the airplane long enough to let everything warm up to more normal operating temperatures. Doing both pre-heat and extended runup would have been best. After the takeoff was initiated, several things caused the airplane to go off the runway. Once the problem arose of the power surge on the left hand engine and the corrective action was not working, the takeoff should have been aborted. Once the airplane was airborne, the takeoff should have been continued and action taken to either secure the left hand engine or operate at a reduced power setting, where it would be steady (900 pound). Switching off the left hand computer may have corrected the problem. The incident resulted in a propeller strike with extensive damage to both propellers and engines. No airframe damage and nobody injured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT HAS PWR SURGE ON LIST OFF. ABORTS TKOF, RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: THE AIRPLANE WAS IN AN UNHEATED HANGAR OVERNIGHT WITH A TEMP OF APPROX -10 DEGS F. AT THE TIME OF DEP THAT DAY, IT WAS -5 DEGS F. WE TAXIED TO RWY 28 AND WAITED FOR THE OIL TEMP TO REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE GREEN ARC, THEN BEGAN TKOF ROLL. AS THE PWR WAS INCREASED, THE L ENG BEGAN TO SURGE. PWR WAS FLUCTUATING BTWN 900 LB TORQUE AND 1700 LB TORQUE (APPROX). SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO STEADY THE PWR BY MOVING THE L HAND PWR LEVER. BY THIS TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS ROUGHLY 20-30 FT IN THE AIR AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO ABORT THE TKOF. THE PWR WAS REDUCED TO FLT IDLE AND SET BACK DOWN ON THE RWY. MAX REVERSE PITCH WITH PROPS AND BRAKING WAS APPLIED. WE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT RWY TO STOP AND WENT THROUGH A SNOW BANK AND INTO A FIELD. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF THE PROB COULD BE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS EXTREMELY COLD AND COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE FUEL COMPUTER AND FUEL CTL UNIT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO WARM UP. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY GETTING A GOOD PRE-HEAT ON THE ENGS OR RUNNING UP THE AIRPLANE LONG ENOUGH TO LET EVERYTHING WARM UP TO MORE NORMAL OPERATING TEMPS. DOING BOTH PRE-HEAT AND EXTENDED RUNUP WOULD HAVE BEEN BEST. AFTER THE TKOF WAS INITIATED, SEVERAL THINGS CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO GO OFF THE RWY. ONCE THE PROB AROSE OF THE PWR SURGE ON THE L HAND ENG AND THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS NOT WORKING, THE TKOF SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABORTED. ONCE THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRBORNE, THE TKOF SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTINUED AND ACTION TAKEN TO EITHER SECURE THE L HAND ENG OR OPERATE AT A REDUCED PWR SETTING, WHERE IT WOULD BE STEADY (900 LB). SWITCHING OFF THE L HAND COMPUTER MAY HAVE CORRECTED THE PROB. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN A PROP STRIKE WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO BOTH PROPS AND ENGS. NO AIRFRAME DAMAGE AND NOBODY INJURED.

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.