Narrative:

While departing runway 9 at ZZZ, we 'caught' the left main tires on the unplowed snow near the edge of the runway. Looking at the runway after the incident, the snow was plowed to the edge on the south side of the runway and approximately 50 ft from the north (left) side of the runway. The tire 'caught' the snow at the same time as I was calling 'V1' and the impact caused a significant yaw and pull to the left. The first officer (PF) immediately initiated an aborted takeoff. The first officer was able to maintain enough directional control, with the rudder, to stay on the runway. We came to a stop on the runway. Runway conditions were reported by the airport personnel as braking action poor and thin loose snow on the runway. The unplowed snow that was impacted was approximately 6-8 inches deep. After the impact, the aircraft was pulled to the left and corrective action during the abort caused the aircraft to slide to the right and come to a stop at approximately a 45 degree angle to the runway. Significant amounts of snow were collected in the landing gear wheel wells and after inspection, no damage to the aircraft was found. Contributing factors: 1) because of the 'whiteout' effect from the snow covering the runway and surrounding area, it was almost impossible for either flight crew to see the edge of the plowed snow. 2) no mention from airport personnel, plowing the runways, about the offset of the plowed area in relation to the center of the runway, or the fact that it changed down the runway. Supplemental information from acn 603522: conditions at ZZZ airport were generally poor. We held above the airport for 40 mins waiting for visibility to rise to 1/2 SM for the ILS to runway 28. Braking action poor, winds calm, loose snow on runway, and 1/2 SM visibility prevailed. We shot the approach as normal, landed and taxied to the gate. After reboarding, we proceeded out to runway 9 for takeoff to the east. Upon taking the runway, I assumed the controls for my leg. We had adequate visible references using the runway lights, the runway was plowed to at least 100 ft width. However, it was whiteout due to the loose snow. The snow plows had been operating at the airport all day due to heavy snow fall. We planned flaps 0 degrees and full power takeoff with engine anti-ice on, so speeds for V1 and vr were approximately 110-112 KTS. At approximately V1, I experienced a massive left yaw, saw a plume of snow appear in the left window and I aborted the takeoff. Maximum rudder deflections in both directions subsequently were necessary to maintain control of the aircraft. After coming to a stop, we taxied back to the terminal. I had no knowledge of it, but the runway was not correctly plowed and we hit a snow verge of about 18-24 inches ht with the left gear. The runway was plowed but offset about the centerline, and due to the snow drifts and lack of any contrast whatsoever, no verge was identifiable. Runway centerline was maintained only with reference to the runway edge lights. This incident exposes some large communication gaps with ground operations at this airport as we couldn't define what was plowed and what was not. With whiteout conditions, such as existed, this is very hazardous as we were ill-informed of the situation. There were no injuries and no damage was done to the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-190 CREW HIT AN UNPLOWED AREA ON TKOF ROLL. ARPT HAD OFFSET PLOWED AREA TO THE R OF THE RWY. THE CREW WAS FORCED TO USE THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS FOR RWY ALIGNMENT BECAUSE OF WHITEOUT CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING RWY 9 AT ZZZ, WE 'CAUGHT' THE L MAIN TIRES ON THE UNPLOWED SNOW NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RWY. LOOKING AT THE RWY AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE SNOW WAS PLOWED TO THE EDGE ON THE S SIDE OF THE RWY AND APPROX 50 FT FROM THE N (L) SIDE OF THE RWY. THE TIRE 'CAUGHT' THE SNOW AT THE SAME TIME AS I WAS CALLING 'V1' AND THE IMPACT CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT YAW AND PULL TO THE L. THE FO (PF) IMMEDIATELY INITIATED AN ABORTED TKOF. THE FO WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ENOUGH DIRECTIONAL CTL, WITH THE RUDDER, TO STAY ON THE RWY. WE CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY. RWY CONDITIONS WERE RPTED BY THE ARPT PERSONNEL AS BRAKING ACTION POOR AND THIN LOOSE SNOW ON THE RWY. THE UNPLOWED SNOW THAT WAS IMPACTED WAS APPROX 6-8 INCHES DEEP. AFTER THE IMPACT, THE ACFT WAS PULLED TO THE L AND CORRECTIVE ACTION DURING THE ABORT CAUSED THE ACFT TO SLIDE TO THE R AND COME TO A STOP AT APPROX A 45 DEG ANGLE TO THE RWY. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW WERE COLLECTED IN THE LNDG GEAR WHEEL WELLS AND AFTER INSPECTION, NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS FOUND. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) BECAUSE OF THE 'WHITEOUT' EFFECT FROM THE SNOW COVERING THE RWY AND SURROUNDING AREA, IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR EITHER FLT CREW TO SEE THE EDGE OF THE PLOWED SNOW. 2) NO MENTION FROM ARPT PERSONNEL, PLOWING THE RWYS, ABOUT THE OFFSET OF THE PLOWED AREA IN RELATION TO THE CTR OF THE RWY, OR THE FACT THAT IT CHANGED DOWN THE RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 603522: CONDITIONS AT ZZZ ARPT WERE GENERALLY POOR. WE HELD ABOVE THE ARPT FOR 40 MINS WAITING FOR VISIBILITY TO RISE TO 1/2 SM FOR THE ILS TO RWY 28. BRAKING ACTION POOR, WINDS CALM, LOOSE SNOW ON RWY, AND 1/2 SM VISIBILITY PREVAILED. WE SHOT THE APCH AS NORMAL, LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. AFTER REBOARDING, WE PROCEEDED OUT TO RWY 9 FOR TKOF TO THE E. UPON TAKING THE RWY, I ASSUMED THE CTLS FOR MY LEG. WE HAD ADEQUATE VISIBLE REFS USING THE RWY LIGHTS, THE RWY WAS PLOWED TO AT LEAST 100 FT WIDTH. HOWEVER, IT WAS WHITEOUT DUE TO THE LOOSE SNOW. THE SNOW PLOWS HAD BEEN OPERATING AT THE ARPT ALL DAY DUE TO HVY SNOW FALL. WE PLANNED FLAPS 0 DEGS AND FULL PWR TKOF WITH ENG ANTI-ICE ON, SO SPDS FOR V1 AND VR WERE APPROX 110-112 KTS. AT APPROX V1, I EXPERIENCED A MASSIVE L YAW, SAW A PLUME OF SNOW APPEAR IN THE L WINDOW AND I ABORTED THE TKOF. MAX RUDDER DEFLECTIONS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS SUBSEQUENTLY WERE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN CTL OF THE ACFT. AFTER COMING TO A STOP, WE TAXIED BACK TO THE TERMINAL. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT, BUT THE RWY WAS NOT CORRECTLY PLOWED AND WE HIT A SNOW VERGE OF ABOUT 18-24 INCHES HT WITH THE L GEAR. THE RWY WAS PLOWED BUT OFFSET ABOUT THE CTRLINE, AND DUE TO THE SNOW DRIFTS AND LACK OF ANY CONTRAST WHATSOEVER, NO VERGE WAS IDENTIFIABLE. RWY CTRLINE WAS MAINTAINED ONLY WITH REF TO THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. THIS INCIDENT EXPOSES SOME LARGE COM GAPS WITH GND OPS AT THIS ARPT AS WE COULDN'T DEFINE WHAT WAS PLOWED AND WHAT WAS NOT. WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS, SUCH AS EXISTED, THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS AS WE WERE ILL-INFORMED OF THE SIT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT.

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.