Narrative:

During first officer takeoff on wet runway with very light aircraft (no cargo -- fuel for 1.5 hour flight) the first officer released the brakes and advanced the throttles before #1 engine was spooled and stable, causing the nosewheel to skid to the left with the aircraft accelerating. Correction required differential thrust and braking which resulted in a swerve to the right before the aircraft was brought under control. I taxied the aircraft clear of the runway and the a&P qualified flight engineer and a company a&P mechanic were disembarked to inspect the aircraft (no damage), prior to taxiing back for an uneventful takeoff. Factors contributing to this situation include: my accepting the tower's request to perform an 'immediate takeoff,' the aircraft's light weight, and the first officer's improper takeoff procedure in which he would push forward the throttles, move his left hand to the yoke and move his right hand to the nosewheel steering tiller instead of just using rudder pedal nosewheel steering as recommended. Bottom line: if I had supervised the situation properly, it could probably have been avoided. Supplemental information from acn 359132: the before takeoff checklist was called complete and the captain xferred aircraft control to me by stating, 'your brakes, your throttles.' I acknowledged and advanced the thrust levers to spool up the engines while awaiting takeoff clearance. The tower stated, 'cleared for immediate takeoff, start your roll now.' simultaneously, the flight engineer called stable power, I released the brakes and informed tower we were rolling. I advanced the thrust levers and asked for normal thrust. I detected a drift to the left and applied right rudder. The aircraft did not correct immediately and drifted further left of centerline. I applied right tiller and full forward yoke but the aircraft continued left. I advised the captain that I had full correction applied but the aircraft was not responding. He retarded the thrust levers to reject the takeoff. Maintenance inspected the aircraft and noted no damage. On departure, we noticed skid marks on the runway and it appeared the right main gear had tracked past the runway side markings, possibly damaging a runway light. We discussed the event with the extra captain riding jump seat and he noted that the EPR's were normal, but that #1 N1 lagged the other engines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747F LOSS OF ACFT CTL DURING INITIAL TKOF PROC. TKOF ABORTED, NEAR RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: DURING FO TKOF ON WET RWY WITH VERY LIGHT ACFT (NO CARGO -- FUEL FOR 1.5 HR FLT) THE FO RELEASED THE BRAKES AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLES BEFORE #1 ENG WAS SPOOLED AND STABLE, CAUSING THE NOSEWHEEL TO SKID TO THE L WITH THE ACFT ACCELERATING. CORRECTION REQUIRED DIFFERENTIAL THRUST AND BRAKING WHICH RESULTED IN A SWERVE TO THE R BEFORE THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT UNDER CTL. I TAXIED THE ACFT CLR OF THE RWY AND THE A&P QUALIFIED FE AND A COMPANY A&P MECH WERE DISEMBARKED TO INSPECT THE ACFT (NO DAMAGE), PRIOR TO TAXIING BACK FOR AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SIT INCLUDE: MY ACCEPTING THE TWR'S REQUEST TO PERFORM AN 'IMMEDIATE TKOF,' THE ACFT'S LIGHT WT, AND THE FO'S IMPROPER TKOF PROC IN WHICH HE WOULD PUSH FORWARD THE THROTTLES, MOVE HIS L HAND TO THE YOKE AND MOVE HIS R HAND TO THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING TILLER INSTEAD OF JUST USING RUDDER PEDAL NOSEWHEEL STEERING AS RECOMMENDED. BOTTOM LINE: IF I HAD SUPERVISED THE SIT PROPERLY, IT COULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 359132: THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS CALLED COMPLETE AND THE CAPT XFERRED ACFT CTL TO ME BY STATING, 'YOUR BRAKES, YOUR THROTTLES.' I ACKNOWLEDGED AND ADVANCED THE THRUST LEVERS TO SPOOL UP THE ENGS WHILE AWAITING TKOF CLRNC. THE TWR STATED, 'CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF, START YOUR ROLL NOW.' SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE FE CALLED STABLE PWR, I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND INFORMED TWR WE WERE ROLLING. I ADVANCED THE THRUST LEVERS AND ASKED FOR NORMAL THRUST. I DETECTED A DRIFT TO THE L AND APPLIED R RUDDER. THE ACFT DID NOT CORRECT IMMEDIATELY AND DRIFTED FURTHER L OF CTRLINE. I APPLIED R TILLER AND FULL FORWARD YOKE BUT THE ACFT CONTINUED L. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT I HAD FULL CORRECTION APPLIED BUT THE ACFT WAS NOT RESPONDING. HE RETARDED THE THRUST LEVERS TO REJECT THE TKOF. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND NOTED NO DAMAGE. ON DEP, WE NOTICED SKID MARKS ON THE RWY AND IT APPEARED THE R MAIN GEAR HAD TRACKED PAST THE RWY SIDE MARKINGS, POSSIBLY DAMAGING A RWY LIGHT. WE DISCUSSED THE EVENT WITH THE EXTRA CAPT RIDING JUMP SEAT AND HE NOTED THAT THE EPR'S WERE NORMAL, BUT THAT #1 N1 LAGGED THE OTHER ENGS.

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.