Narrative:

On takeoff, aircraft did not accelerate correctly and airspeed fluctuated. Abort was successfully completed. Snow on the runway and turn on to runway accounted for nosewheel steering problem and inability to determine that nosewheel was not properly aligned. Braking action was poor, gusty wind. Supplemental information from acn 262399: wind was 340 degrees at 14 gusting 20. The braking action on runway 14/32 was reported as fair with patchy snow, ice and slush. A wind gust blew the airplane backward 2-3 ft. I heard a snapping noise and added some power to stop the backward roll. At that point, the nosewheel steering tiller didn't steer the airplane. When the nosewheel steering goes past 60 degrees either side of center, the hydraulic steering disconnects with a snapping noise as it goes into a free castering (120 degrees either side of center) mode. There was no nosewheel steering caution light on the panel. Which you will not get if the airplane is in the free castering mode. I applied some power to see if the free castering nosewheel was centered. The airplane tracked straight, so we continued the takeoff. At 70 KTS the yaw damper disconnected (which happens in gusty xwinds). At 80 KTS, the first officer said his airspeed was bouncing between 0-80 KTS. We aborted the takeoff. When we parked, the nosewheel had failed 90 degrees to the left of center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DCH-8 ABORTED ITS TKOF WITH A CASTERING NOSEWHEEL, FLUCTUATING AIRSPD AND A YAW DAMPER DISCONNECT.

Narrative: ON TKOF, ACFT DID NOT ACCELERATE CORRECTLY AND AIRSPD FLUCTUATED. ABORT WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. SNOW ON THE RWY AND TURN ON TO RWY ACCOUNTED FOR NOSEWHEEL STEERING PROB AND INABILITY TO DETERMINE THAT NOSEWHEEL WAS NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED. BRAKING ACTION WAS POOR, GUSTY WIND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 262399: WIND WAS 340 DEGS AT 14 GUSTING 20. THE BRAKING ACTION ON RWY 14/32 WAS RPTED AS FAIR WITH PATCHY SNOW, ICE AND SLUSH. A WIND GUST BLEW THE AIRPLANE BACKWARD 2-3 FT. I HEARD A SNAPPING NOISE AND ADDED SOME PWR TO STOP THE BACKWARD ROLL. AT THAT POINT, THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING TILLER DIDN'T STEER THE AIRPLANE. WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING GOES PAST 60 DEGS EITHER SIDE OF CTR, THE HYD STEERING DISCONNECTS WITH A SNAPPING NOISE AS IT GOES INTO A FREE CASTERING (120 DEGS EITHER SIDE OF CTR) MODE. THERE WAS NO NOSEWHEEL STEERING CAUTION LIGHT ON THE PANEL. WHICH YOU WILL NOT GET IF THE AIRPLANE IS IN THE FREE CASTERING MODE. I APPLIED SOME PWR TO SEE IF THE FREE CASTERING NOSEWHEEL WAS CTRED. THE AIRPLANE TRACKED STRAIGHT, SO WE CONTINUED THE TKOF. AT 70 KTS THE YAW DAMPER DISCONNECTED (WHICH HAPPENS IN GUSTY XWINDS). AT 80 KTS, THE FO SAID HIS AIRSPD WAS BOUNCING BTWN 0-80 KTS. WE ABORTED THE TKOF. WHEN WE PARKED, THE NOSEWHEEL HAD FAILED 90 DEGS TO THE L OF CTR.

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.