Narrative:

I was departing in a BE58 baron operated under a far part 135 cargo service on an IFR flight from buffalo, ny, to utica, ny. The WX at buffalo was sky partially obscured, 800 ft variable overcast, and 3/4 mi visibility, variable to 1/2 mi. The winds were from the west at 15 KTS gusting to 20 KTS, and runway 23 was in use. Buffalo tower cleared me for departure and I taxied onto the runway for takeoff. At this point in time I observed approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch of snow on the runway and considered braking action to be poor. I brought the aircraft to a stop on the runway centerline, checked locs centered, and applied takeoff power. During the takeoff roll, the visibility was poor due to blowing snow and a small amount of snow on my windscreen. Approximately 10 seconds into the takeoff roll at about 70 KTS, all system were indicating normal, however, a strong gust of wind wxvaned my aircraft to the right and I went off of the right side of the runway. While aborting the takeoff I heard 3 loud bangs which I assumed were my propellers and aircraft striking the runway edge lights. I regained control of the aircraft, informed buffalo tower of what had happened, and that braking action was poor. I taxied to the ramp without further incident. After shutting down, I inspected the aircraft and found propeller damage to both sides as well as some scrapes along the underside of the aircraft. After speaking to buffalo tower personnel, I was informed that they had recorded wind gusts in excess of 50 KTS during the time I was departing. There are several key issues that caused the domino effect to take place. First of all, due to strong winds and blowing snow the txwys and runways were snow covered which made for slippery conditions and poor braking action. Second, the entire width of the runway was not plowed. Thirdly, runway 23 at buffalo has centerline lighting. While separately these things may mean nothing, these combined factors gave me the optical illusion that the runway was wider. The snow at the runway edges were covering the edge lights in such a manner that they appeared to be the centerline lights. This illusion combined with blowing snow, strong xwinds, icy runways, poor visibility, and my inaction to assure the aircraft remained on the runway centerline contributed to a dangerous situation which inadvertently caused this incident. Perhaps to avoid future incidents like this from reoccurring, airport authority/authorized should assure that runways are fully plowed, and that the runway edge lights are clearly and visibly distinguishable from centerline lights, on the other side. Pilots need to be aware of hazardous runway conditions, that nothing is obstructing their view out of the windscreen, and they know where the runway centerline is and use it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ATTEMPTED TKOF IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS RESULTING IN LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING IN A BE58 BARON OPERATED UNDER A FAR PART 135 CARGO SVC ON AN IFR FLT FROM BUFFALO, NY, TO UTICA, NY. THE WX AT BUFFALO WAS SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED, 800 FT VARIABLE OVCST, AND 3/4 MI VISIBILITY, VARIABLE TO 1/2 MI. THE WINDS WERE FROM THE W AT 15 KTS GUSTING TO 20 KTS, AND RWY 23 WAS IN USE. BUFFALO TWR CLRED ME FOR DEP AND I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF. AT THIS POINT IN TIME I OBSERVED APPROX 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH OF SNOW ON THE RWY AND CONSIDERED BRAKING ACTION TO BE POOR. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP ON THE RWY CTRLINE, CHKED LOCS CTRED, AND APPLIED TKOF PWR. DURING THE TKOF ROLL, THE VISIBILITY WAS POOR DUE TO BLOWING SNOW AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF SNOW ON MY WINDSCREEN. APPROX 10 SECONDS INTO THE TKOF ROLL AT ABOUT 70 KTS, ALL SYS WERE INDICATING NORMAL, HOWEVER, A STRONG GUST OF WIND WXVANED MY ACFT TO THE R AND I WENT OFF OF THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. WHILE ABORTING THE TKOF I HEARD 3 LOUD BANGS WHICH I ASSUMED WERE MY PROPS AND ACFT STRIKING THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. I REGAINED CTL OF THE ACFT, INFORMED BUFFALO TWR OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND THAT BRAKING ACTION WAS POOR. I TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN, I INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND PROP DAMAGE TO BOTH SIDES AS WELL AS SOME SCRAPES ALONG THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ACFT. AFTER SPEAKING TO BUFFALO TWR PERSONNEL, I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD RECORDED WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 KTS DURING THE TIME I WAS DEPARTING. THERE ARE SEVERAL KEY ISSUES THAT CAUSED THE DOMINO EFFECT TO TAKE PLACE. FIRST OF ALL, DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW THE TXWYS AND RWYS WERE SNOW COVERED WHICH MADE FOR SLIPPERY CONDITIONS AND POOR BRAKING ACTION. SECOND, THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE RWY WAS NOT PLOWED. THIRDLY, RWY 23 AT BUFFALO HAS CTRLINE LIGHTING. WHILE SEPARATELY THESE THINGS MAY MEAN NOTHING, THESE COMBINED FACTORS GAVE ME THE OPTICAL ILLUSION THAT THE RWY WAS WIDER. THE SNOW AT THE RWY EDGES WERE COVERING THE EDGE LIGHTS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY APPEARED TO BE THE CTRLINE LIGHTS. THIS ILLUSION COMBINED WITH BLOWING SNOW, STRONG XWINDS, ICY RWYS, POOR VISIBILITY, AND MY INACTION TO ASSURE THE ACFT REMAINED ON THE RWY CTRLINE CONTRIBUTED TO A DANGEROUS SIT WHICH INADVERTENTLY CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. PERHAPS TO AVOID FUTURE INCIDENTS LIKE THIS FROM REOCCURRING, ARPT AUTH SHOULD ASSURE THAT RWYS ARE FULLY PLOWED, AND THAT THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS ARE CLRLY AND VISIBLY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM CTRLINE LIGHTS, ON THE OTHER SIDE. PLTS NEED TO BE AWARE OF HAZARDOUS RWY CONDITIONS, THAT NOTHING IS OBSTRUCTING THEIR VIEW OUT OF THE WINDSCREEN, AND THEY KNOW WHERE THE RWY CTRLINE IS AND USE IT.

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.