Narrative:

The main tires straddled the centerline and the nose was within 20 degrees of the runway heading as I brought the engines up to flex takeoff power. Plane axis now paralleled the centerline. Just as we began to roll, I tried to steer the nosewheel so it would be exactly over the centerline. The nosewheel steering tiller and pedal responsiveness then became exaggerated. Initially the steering was hypersensitive and moved the nose too quickly. Then it seemed sluggish and lacking in finesse as I applied corrective action. The aircraft nose then performed a disconcerting right/left/right motion. All the while it seemed that my countering hand/foot inputs were delayed in being xferred to the nosewheel. In the midst of this, I cut the engines back to idle, but the spool-down does take a few seconds. Between the residual power and my assertive braking the bit of lurching was obviously noticed by the passenger. Our speed never really exceeded 15-20 mph. Discontinuing the takeoff, we informed the tower and taxied back to the gate without any more steering antics. It's possible that the engines spooled up unevenly, though I thought I advanced them together. At the gate I asked the first officer for his ideas and then had all the wheels, struts, and hydraulic fluids checked over. There weren't any injuries, but 2 passenger decided to disembark. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the takeoff roll became very difficult to control and he rejected the takeoff. After returning to the gate, maintenance inspected the aircraft and could find no indication of a control problem. The reporter elected to take the aircraft to destination and experienced no control difficulties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING RWY HDG DURING TKOF ROLL AND DISCONTINUED THE TKOF.

Narrative: THE MAIN TIRES STRADDLED THE CTRLINE AND THE NOSE WAS WITHIN 20 DEGS OF THE RWY HDG AS I BROUGHT THE ENGS UP TO FLEX TKOF PWR. PLANE AXIS NOW PARALLELED THE CTRLINE. JUST AS WE BEGAN TO ROLL, I TRIED TO STEER THE NOSEWHEEL SO IT WOULD BE EXACTLY OVER THE CTRLINE. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING TILLER AND PEDAL RESPONSIVENESS THEN BECAME EXAGGERATED. INITIALLY THE STEERING WAS HYPERSENSITIVE AND MOVED THE NOSE TOO QUICKLY. THEN IT SEEMED SLUGGISH AND LACKING IN FINESSE AS I APPLIED CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE ACFT NOSE THEN PERFORMED A DISCONCERTING R/L/R MOTION. ALL THE WHILE IT SEEMED THAT MY COUNTERING HAND/FOOT INPUTS WERE DELAYED IN BEING XFERRED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. IN THE MIDST OF THIS, I CUT THE ENGS BACK TO IDLE, BUT THE SPOOL-DOWN DOES TAKE A FEW SECONDS. BTWN THE RESIDUAL PWR AND MY ASSERTIVE BRAKING THE BIT OF LURCHING WAS OBVIOUSLY NOTICED BY THE PAX. OUR SPD NEVER REALLY EXCEEDED 15-20 MPH. DISCONTINUING THE TKOF, WE INFORMED THE TWR AND TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE WITHOUT ANY MORE STEERING ANTICS. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE ENGS SPOOLED UP UNEVENLY, THOUGH I THOUGHT I ADVANCED THEM TOGETHER. AT THE GATE I ASKED THE FO FOR HIS IDEAS AND THEN HAD ALL THE WHEELS, STRUTS, AND HYD FLUIDS CHKED OVER. THERE WEREN'T ANY INJURIES, BUT 2 PAX DECIDED TO DISEMBARK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE TKOF ROLL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO CTL AND HE REJECTED THE TKOF. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE, MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND COULD FIND NO INDICATION OF A CTL PROB. THE RPTR ELECTED TO TAKE THE ACFT TO DEST AND EXPERIENCED NO CTL DIFFICULTIES.

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.