Narrative:

On the morning of jan/xx/98 at stl after taking position on runway 30R at intersection right, I added power for takeoff. The left engine spooled faster than the right and the aircraft swerved to the right edge of the runway. I corrected and continued the takeoff and trip to sgf. I did not feel any strike or impact on the departure, only a small bump I assumed to be the rough edge of the runway. Upon arrival at sgf I examined the propeller and found 1 each nick in 2 of the blades. Neither of these were of sufficient size or diameter to make me feel there was any problem. I called stl tower and asked them if I had hit anything and if there were any problems. I was later advised by stl that I had not hit anything on or by the runway and as far as they were concerned it was a non issue. I called air carrier maintenance and advised them of the size and nature of the nicks while at sgf. Through my description it was determined there was not a problem and the flight was continued to ZZZ. Upon arrival at ZZZ I re-examined both blades and found that both nicks had cracked out and were now missing significant (approximately 3/4 inch X 3/4 inch) blocks. Maintenance was renotified of the new nature of the problem and FBO aircraft was asked to examine the propeller and determine its status. At no time did the aircraft exhibit any vibration or adverse characteristics. After the aircraft was fueled at ZZZ a puncture was found in the right wing. It was toward the outer edge of the right fuel cell. The damage appeared to come from foreign matter being flung by the propeller. The aircraft has consequently been grounded pending maintenance release. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states the aircraft was a metroliner SA227 turboprop with ase tpe 331-11-612G engines. The reporter said the aircraft is still OTS as the propeller was removed and will be replaced, the gear box and engine were removed and sent to the manufacturer for internal inspection even though there was no sudden stoppage. The reporter stated the lower wing puncture did penetrate the fuel tank. The reporter was contacted by the FAA but did not indicate any regulatory concern. The reporter said that maintenance is convinced the propeller struck a chain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A METROLINER SA227 ON TKOF ROLL STRUCK A CHAIN WITH THE R PROP INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND LOWER WING SKIN.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JAN/XX/98 AT STL AFTER TAKING POS ON RWY 30R AT INTXN R, I ADDED PWR FOR TKOF. THE L ENG SPOOLED FASTER THAN THE R AND THE ACFT SWERVED TO THE R EDGE OF THE RWY. I CORRECTED AND CONTINUED THE TKOF AND TRIP TO SGF. I DID NOT FEEL ANY STRIKE OR IMPACT ON THE DEP, ONLY A SMALL BUMP I ASSUMED TO BE THE ROUGH EDGE OF THE RWY. UPON ARR AT SGF I EXAMINED THE PROP AND FOUND 1 EACH NICK IN 2 OF THE BLADES. NEITHER OF THESE WERE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE OR DIAMETER TO MAKE ME FEEL THERE WAS ANY PROB. I CALLED STL TWR AND ASKED THEM IF I HAD HIT ANYTHING AND IF THERE WERE ANY PROBS. I WAS LATER ADVISED BY STL THAT I HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING ON OR BY THE RWY AND AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED IT WAS A NON ISSUE. I CALLED ACR MAINT AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SIZE AND NATURE OF THE NICKS WHILE AT SGF. THROUGH MY DESCRIPTION IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS NOT A PROB AND THE FLT WAS CONTINUED TO ZZZ. UPON ARR AT ZZZ I RE-EXAMINED BOTH BLADES AND FOUND THAT BOTH NICKS HAD CRACKED OUT AND WERE NOW MISSING SIGNIFICANT (APPROX 3/4 INCH X 3/4 INCH) BLOCKS. MAINT WAS RENOTIFIED OF THE NEW NATURE OF THE PROB AND FBO ACFT WAS ASKED TO EXAMINE THE PROP AND DETERMINE ITS STATUS. AT NO TIME DID THE ACFT EXHIBIT ANY VIBRATION OR ADVERSE CHARACTERISTICS. AFTER THE ACFT WAS FUELED AT ZZZ A PUNCTURE WAS FOUND IN THE R WING. IT WAS TOWARD THE OUTER EDGE OF THE R FUEL CELL. THE DAMAGE APPEARED TO COME FROM FOREIGN MATTER BEING FLUNG BY THE PROP. THE ACFT HAS CONSEQUENTLY BEEN GNDED PENDING MAINT RELEASE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS A METROLINER SA227 TURBOPROP WITH ASE TPE 331-11-612G ENGS. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT IS STILL OTS AS THE PROP WAS REMOVED AND WILL BE REPLACED, THE GEAR BOX AND ENG WERE REMOVED AND SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR INTERNAL INSPECTION EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO SUDDEN STOPPAGE. THE RPTR STATED THE LOWER WING PUNCTURE DID PENETRATE THE FUEL TANK. THE RPTR WAS CONTACTED BY THE FAA BUT DID NOT INDICATE ANY REGULATORY CONCERN. THE RPTR SAID THAT MAINT IS CONVINCED THE PROP STRUCK A CHAIN.

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.