Narrative:

As described in incident report, departure point hvr destination lwt. After late departure out of bil, went through complete checklist -- as if first flight of the day. All system checked ok. Normal taxi, takeoff and departure out of bil. After VFR approach into lwt and a normal landing. Taxied to ramp and parked. Quick turned, normal taxi to runway. Lined up, pwred up through 25%. Captain released brakes. Torque came up with about a 5% split through 40%. At that point, captain pulled power back and started reversing. I looked up, saw the aircraft starting to the right with reverse and brakes had no effect. Aircraft struck a 3 ft snow bank. There was damage to the right propeller. The aircraft was in the first 300 ft or so of the roll. The beginning of the roll seemed normal and the torque rise was normal. The only thing I can think of is the nosewheel steering. After talking with the flight operations director and our chief pilot, I'm sure the aircraft was off the start locks. Metros won't go through 20% if they're on the locks. I'm not sure if the captain released the button or if they continued to try to steer it to the left. There was no indication of a nosewheel steering fail light. We were also the first crew to fly after repairs had been made to the nosewheel steering system that afternoon. The work was signed off by maintenance and nosewheel steering tests were completed by maintenance in a taxi check. We also completed sas, nts, and nosewheel steering test before leaving billings. As I told the FAA, I'm from texas. I have no ice and snow experience before coming to montana. I don't think I would have done anything different. After the aircraft came to a stop, the mains were still on the runway. The nose was off in the grass (after plowing). The runway had not been completely plowed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A METROLINER OPERATING A SCHEDULED PAX FLT FROM HVR TO LWT DEPARTED THE RWY AFTER ATTEMPTING TO APPLY TKOF PWR WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE R PROP.

Narrative: AS DESCRIBED IN INCIDENT RPT, DEP POINT HVR DEST LWT. AFTER LATE DEP OUT OF BIL, WENT THROUGH COMPLETE CHKLIST -- AS IF FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. ALL SYS CHKED OK. NORMAL TAXI, TKOF AND DEP OUT OF BIL. AFTER VFR APCH INTO LWT AND A NORMAL LNDG. TAXIED TO RAMP AND PARKED. QUICK TURNED, NORMAL TAXI TO RWY. LINED UP, PWRED UP THROUGH 25%. CAPT RELEASED BRAKES. TORQUE CAME UP WITH ABOUT A 5% SPLIT THROUGH 40%. AT THAT POINT, CAPT PULLED PWR BACK AND STARTED REVERSING. I LOOKED UP, SAW THE ACFT STARTING TO THE R WITH REVERSE AND BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT. ACFT STRUCK A 3 FT SNOW BANK. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE R PROP. THE ACFT WAS IN THE FIRST 300 FT OR SO OF THE ROLL. THE BEGINNING OF THE ROLL SEEMED NORMAL AND THE TORQUE RISE WAS NORMAL. THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING. AFTER TALKING WITH THE FLT OPS DIRECTOR AND OUR CHIEF PLT, I'M SURE THE ACFT WAS OFF THE START LOCKS. METROS WON'T GO THROUGH 20% IF THEY'RE ON THE LOCKS. I'M NOT SURE IF THE CAPT RELEASED THE BUTTON OR IF THEY CONTINUED TO TRY TO STEER IT TO THE L. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAIL LIGHT. WE WERE ALSO THE FIRST CREW TO FLY AFTER REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS THAT AFTERNOON. THE WORK WAS SIGNED OFF BY MAINT AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING TESTS WERE COMPLETED BY MAINT IN A TAXI CHK. WE ALSO COMPLETED SAS, NTS, AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING TEST BEFORE LEAVING BILLINGS. AS I TOLD THE FAA, I'M FROM TEXAS. I HAVE NO ICE AND SNOW EXPERIENCE BEFORE COMING TO MONTANA. I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT. AFTER THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP, THE MAINS WERE STILL ON THE RWY. THE NOSE WAS OFF IN THE GRASS (AFTER PLOWING). THE RWY HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETELY PLOWED.

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.