Status:	Final
Date:	29 SEP 2002
Time:	09:13
Type:	Swearingen SA227-AC Metro II
Operator:	Skylink Charter
Registration:	N343AE
C/n / msn:	AC-554
First flight:	1983
Total airframe hrs:	30660
Cycles:	44949
Engines:	2 Garrett TPE331-11U-611G
Crew:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 19
Total:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 21
Airplane damage:	Substantial
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Hawthorne Airport, CA (HHR) (United States of America)
Phase:	Takeoff (TOF)
Nature:	Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Hawthorne Airport, CA (HHR/KHHR), United States of America
Destination airport:	Grand Canyon-National Park Airport, AZ (GCN/KGCN), United States of America

Narrative:
When the airplane had accelerated between 40 and 60 knots, the pilot released the nose wheel steering button. At this time the pilot observed that the airplane was veering left of the runway's centerline. He rejected the takeoff by retarding the power levers into ground idle position and applied brakes. The Metro continued veering left, so he applied full right rudder and full reverse on the right engine in an attempt at regaining directional control. The plane veered off the side of the runway, traversed a dirt field, an active taxiway, and a vehicle service road. The airplane came to rest about 192 feet south of the runway's left edge. The forward half of the airplane's fuselage was imbedded in an airport T-hangar, damaging three light aircraft and a car.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage and was probably damaged beyond repair.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain directional control during the rejected takeoff. The loss of directional control was caused by the crew's failure to follow prescribed pretakeoff and takeoff checklist procedures to ensure the both propellers were out of the start locks. Contributing factors were the failure of the crew to follow normal company procedures during takeoff, the failure of the flightcrew to recognize an abnormal propeller condition during takeoff, and a lack of crew coordination in performing a rejected takeoff."

Events:

Sources:
» NTSB