Narrative:

We had been delayed all evening and numerous flts had already been cancelled due to WX and ATC delays. Normal company practice has been for company dispatchers to obtain our IFR releases from this uncontrolled field and relay them to the crew via company frequency when ready for departure. Since we had no passengers on this fry flight we obtained our release and void time prior to leaving the dispatch office (not uncommon). We had about a 7 min window in which to depart. Things started to take a little bit longer than normal and soon we found ourselves 'rushing' through the checklists in order to be airborne prior to void time. There was a x-wind that night and sometimes I consciously choose to leave the rudder control lock installed to ease pressure on my feet to work the brakes and steer with the tiller (the control locks are all internal in the cockpit of the small transport). This night I am not sure if I made such a decision. During the checklist, my copilot called 'flight controls' to which I responded 'free and clear' while rotating the yoke through its movement. I obviously did not check the rudder pedals for movement. Completing the checklist I turned onto the runway and gave the aircraft over to my first officer (the PF). He advanced power and began the takeoff roll. Approaching V1, he tried to correct for the x-wind with rudder but was unable as we noted it was frozen. We aborted the takeoff with myself in control at this point and maintaining directional control with the tiller. We stopped and taxied off the active west/O further incident. Departing the runway we both noted the rudder lock was in place (a pole extending from the floor to the base of the panel) between my legs. How stupid, yet how fortunate we were! I allowed myself to be rushed by an approaching void time rather than request an extension. Grateful I am that the x-wind was only light. Having jumpseated many times on other carriers I have noted most crews add to their response 'top and bottom' (rudder) to the flight controls query. I have now added that phrase to my response each time! An additional contributing factor may be that other aircraft in our fleet, which I also fly, have their nose steering linked to the rudder rather than a tiller which make it difficult to test unrestricted travel while taxiing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PIC ABORTS TKOF WHEN IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE RUDDERS ARE STILL LOCKED.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN DELAYED ALL EVENING AND NUMEROUS FLTS HAD ALREADY BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WX AND ATC DELAYS. NORMAL COMPANY PRACTICE HAS BEEN FOR COMPANY DISPATCHERS TO OBTAIN OUR IFR RELEASES FROM THIS UNCTLED FIELD AND RELAY THEM TO THE CREW VIA COMPANY FREQ WHEN READY FOR DEP. SINCE WE HAD NO PAXS ON THIS FRY FLT WE OBTAINED OUR RELEASE AND VOID TIME PRIOR TO LEAVING THE DISPATCH OFFICE (NOT UNCOMMON). WE HAD ABOUT A 7 MIN WINDOW IN WHICH TO DEPART. THINGS STARTED TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN NORMAL AND SOON WE FOUND OURSELVES 'RUSHING' THROUGH THE CHKLISTS IN ORDER TO BE AIRBORNE PRIOR TO VOID TIME. THERE WAS A X-WIND THAT NIGHT AND SOMETIMES I CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE TO LEAVE THE RUDDER CTL LOCK INSTALLED TO EASE PRESSURE ON MY FEET TO WORK THE BRAKES AND STEER WITH THE TILLER (THE CTL LOCKS ARE ALL INTERNAL IN THE COCKPIT OF THE SMT). THIS NIGHT I AM NOT SURE IF I MADE SUCH A DECISION. DURING THE CHKLIST, MY COPLT CALLED 'FLT CTLS' TO WHICH I RESPONDED 'FREE AND CLR' WHILE ROTATING THE YOKE THROUGH ITS MOVEMENT. I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT CHK THE RUDDER PEDALS FOR MOVEMENT. COMPLETING THE CHKLIST I TURNED ONTO THE RWY AND GAVE THE ACFT OVER TO MY F/O (THE PF). HE ADVANCED PWR AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. APCHING V1, HE TRIED TO CORRECT FOR THE X-WIND WITH RUDDER BUT WAS UNABLE AS WE NOTED IT WAS FROZEN. WE ABORTED THE TKOF WITH MYSELF IN CTL AT THIS POINT AND MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CTL WITH THE TILLER. WE STOPPED AND TAXIED OFF THE ACTIVE W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. DEPARTING THE RWY WE BOTH NOTED THE RUDDER LOCK WAS IN PLACE (A POLE EXTENDING FROM THE FLOOR TO THE BASE OF THE PANEL) BTWN MY LEGS. HOW STUPID, YET HOW FORTUNATE WE WERE! I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE RUSHED BY AN APCHING VOID TIME RATHER THAN REQUEST AN EXTENSION. GRATEFUL I AM THAT THE X-WIND WAS ONLY LIGHT. HAVING JUMPSEATED MANY TIMES ON OTHER CARRIERS I HAVE NOTED MOST CREWS ADD TO THEIR RESPONSE 'TOP AND BOTTOM' (RUDDER) TO THE FLT CTLS QUERY. I HAVE NOW ADDED THAT PHRASE TO MY RESPONSE EACH TIME! AN ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY BE THAT OTHER ACFT IN OUR FLEET, WHICH I ALSO FLY, HAVE THEIR NOSE STEERING LINKED TO THE RUDDER RATHER THAN A TILLER WHICH MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO TEST UNRESTRICTED TRAVEL WHILE TAXIING.

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.