Heavy transport 4 engine passenger cargo flight departed runway when the first officer lost aircraft...

Attributes
ACN	542001
Time
Date	200203
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13060 flight time type : 3550
ASRS Report	542001
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 108 flight time total : 11514 flight time type : 3983
ASRS Report	543424
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The aircraft blocked out for departure at XA50. The aircraft was cleared for taxi by the ground controller to taxi to runway 33 via taxiway a. As the aircraft approached the end of the taxiway it was cleared for takeoff, the time XB00. It was to be the first officer's leg to fly. The captain announced it was going to be a rolling takeoff. Company procedures state that the captain aligns the aircraft on the runway, sets power before giving the aircraft to the first officer. As the aircraft was turning onto the runway, power was advanced. Engines #1, #2, and #3 spooled up but #4 lagged. This created a large power differential. The nose gear slid to the right making the aircraft yaw to the right and end up perpendicular to the runway. As the nose of the aircraft crossed the centerline of the runway, reverse was applied. It was not noted which engines as I was looking out of the aircraft. Vision was obscured from snow blowing from reversing and a haze (snow fog) created by engine exhaust. The aircraft slid down an incline back onto taxiway a before stopping. The previous maneuver took place within 100 ft from the takeoff point. The area between the runway and taxiway was frozen tundra. No runway or taxiway lights were hit, no bumps were felt. The tower asked if any assistance was required. We stated no, and that everyone was remaining on the aircraft. The tower asked if we were ready for takeoff. They were told to stand by. The captain made a check to see if all system were operating normally and announced we were ready for departure. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff and a normal departure made. The captain should have not made a rolling takeoff. The braking action was reported as (fair) but the runway was slippery. A rolling takeoff with minimal power would have been acceptable, but with as much power as was added, combined with a slow spooling engine, the nose sliding was sure to happen. A rolling takeoff was not required and a standing takeoff would have been the better option. Also, more input from the crew would have been better prior to takeoff as this decision for a rolling takeoff was made as power was applied for takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HVT 4 ENG PAX CARGO FLT DEPARTED RWY WHEN THE FO LOST ACFT CTL AFTER THE PWR ON #4 ENG DID NOT COME UP AS QUICKLY AS THE OTHER 3 ENGS DURING TKOF ROLL ON AN ICING RWY WITH ONLY FAIR BRAKING ACTION RPTED. THERE WAS NO ACFT, OR ARPT LIGHTS, DAMAGED.

Narrative: THE ACFT BLOCKED OUT FOR DEP AT XA50. THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TAXI BY THE GND CTLR TO TAXI TO RWY 33 VIA TXWY A. AS THE ACFT APCHED THE END OF THE TXWY IT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF, THE TIME XB00. IT WAS TO BE THE FO'S LEG TO FLY. THE CAPT ANNOUNCED IT WAS GOING TO BE A ROLLING TKOF. COMPANY PROCS STATE THAT THE CAPT ALIGNS THE ACFT ON THE RWY, SETS PWR BEFORE GIVING THE ACFT TO THE FO. AS THE ACFT WAS TURNING ONTO THE RWY, PWR WAS ADVANCED. ENGS #1, #2, AND #3 SPOOLED UP BUT #4 LAGGED. THIS CREATED A LARGE PWR DIFFERENTIAL. THE NOSE GEAR SLID TO THE R MAKING THE ACFT YAW TO THE R AND END UP PERPENDICULAR TO THE RWY. AS THE NOSE OF THE ACFT CROSSED THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY, REVERSE WAS APPLIED. IT WAS NOT NOTED WHICH ENGS AS I WAS LOOKING OUT OF THE ACFT. VISION WAS OBSCURED FROM SNOW BLOWING FROM REVERSING AND A HAZE (SNOW FOG) CREATED BY ENG EXHAUST. THE ACFT SLID DOWN AN INCLINE BACK ONTO TXWY A BEFORE STOPPING. THE PREVIOUS MANEUVER TOOK PLACE WITHIN 100 FT FROM THE TKOF POINT. THE AREA BTWN THE RWY AND TXWY WAS FROZEN TUNDRA. NO RWY OR TXWY LIGHTS WERE HIT, NO BUMPS WERE FELT. THE TWR ASKED IF ANY ASSISTANCE WAS REQUIRED. WE STATED NO, AND THAT EVERYONE WAS REMAINING ON THE ACFT. THE TWR ASKED IF WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. THEY WERE TOLD TO STAND BY. THE CAPT MADE A CHK TO SEE IF ALL SYS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AND ANNOUNCED WE WERE READY FOR DEP. THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND A NORMAL DEP MADE. THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE NOT MADE A ROLLING TKOF. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS RPTED AS (FAIR) BUT THE RWY WAS SLIPPERY. A ROLLING TKOF WITH MINIMAL PWR WOULD HAVE BEEN ACCEPTABLE, BUT WITH AS MUCH PWR AS WAS ADDED, COMBINED WITH A SLOW SPOOLING ENG, THE NOSE SLIDING WAS SURE TO HAPPEN. A ROLLING TKOF WAS NOT REQUIRED AND A STANDING TKOF WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BETTER OPTION. ALSO, MORE INPUT FROM THE CREW WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PRIOR TO TKOF AS THIS DECISION FOR A ROLLING TKOF WAS MADE AS PWR WAS APPLIED FOR TKOF.

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.