Narrative:

Flight as a commuter flight with sic and 5 passenger, IFR flight plan grand canyon to las. Conditions: freezing visibility 1-2 mi in light to moderate snow. Although the aircraft was manually cleaned and verified clean within the 5 mins that preceded our takeoff clearance, there was some snow on the airframe as we rolled into position. As the takeoff was begun and proceeded, I verified that this material was clearing off the wing panels in the slipstream. The runway had not been plowed, with 1-2 inches of snow and slush on the surface. As the aircraft reached vr, and with a little more than 4000 ft remaining, I aborted the takeoff when it became obvious that adequate pitch control was not available. The aircraft rolled out without incident, tower was advised, and we taxied back to the gate to inspect the aircraft. The inspection revealed that a considerable amount of contamination had accumulated on the entire undersurface of the horizontal stabilizer, apparently the result of spray- back from the main wheels on the takeoff roll. About an hour later, the snow stopped. The runway drained on its own. We cleaned the aircraft again and departed as normal. I had picked up the clearance for our first departure. The ATIS was reporting, as I recall, at least 1 1/2 mi. Our operations specifications require at least 1 mi visibility for takeoff. The pilot acting as sic told me later that the tower amended the visibility to 3/4 mi as we were cleared to taxi. I did not hear this, and as well as I could tell, visibility was around 1 1/2 mi as we began the takeoff roll. Apparently, the quality of our communication broke down partly due to our haste and effort to get airborne within the required 5 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORTED. SLUSH SNOW CONTAMINATED HORIZ STABILIZER.

Narrative: FLT AS A COMMUTER FLT WITH SIC AND 5 PAX, IFR FLT PLAN GRAND CANYON TO LAS. CONDITIONS: FREEZING VISIBILITY 1-2 MI IN LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW. ALTHOUGH THE ACFT WAS MANUALLY CLEANED AND VERIFIED CLEAN WITHIN THE 5 MINS THAT PRECEDED OUR TKOF CLRNC, THERE WAS SOME SNOW ON THE AIRFRAME AS WE ROLLED INTO POS. AS THE TKOF WAS BEGUN AND PROCEEDED, I VERIFIED THAT THIS MATERIAL WAS CLRING OFF THE WING PANELS IN THE SLIPSTREAM. THE RWY HAD NOT BEEN PLOWED, WITH 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLUSH ON THE SURFACE. AS THE ACFT REACHED VR, AND WITH A LITTLE MORE THAN 4000 FT REMAINING, I ABORTED THE TKOF WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT ADEQUATE PITCH CTL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE ACFT ROLLED OUT WITHOUT INCIDENT, TWR WAS ADVISED, AND WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE TO INSPECT THE ACFT. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CONTAMINATION HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE ENTIRE UNDERSURFACE OF THE HORIZ STABILIZER, APPARENTLY THE RESULT OF SPRAY- BACK FROM THE MAIN WHEELS ON THE TKOF ROLL. ABOUT AN HR LATER, THE SNOW STOPPED. THE RWY DRAINED ON ITS OWN. WE CLEANED THE ACFT AGAIN AND DEPARTED AS NORMAL. I HAD PICKED UP THE CLRNC FOR OUR FIRST DEP. THE ATIS WAS RPTING, AS I RECALL, AT LEAST 1 1/2 MI. OUR OPS SPECS REQUIRE AT LEAST 1 MI VISIBILITY FOR TKOF. THE PLT ACTING AS SIC TOLD ME LATER THAT THE TWR AMENDED THE VISIBILITY TO 3/4 MI AS WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI. I DID NOT HEAR THIS, AND AS WELL AS I COULD TELL, VISIBILITY WAS AROUND 1 1/2 MI AS WE BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. APPARENTLY, THE QUALITY OF OUR COM BROKE DOWN PARTLY DUE TO OUR HASTE AND EFFORT TO GET AIRBORNE WITHIN THE REQUIRED 5 MINS.

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.