SA-227 AC Metro III
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Object; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Ground Excursion Runway
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Human Factors; Aircraft
Airplane started normally and all checklists completed. No difficulties on taxi. Was told to line up and wait on Rwy. I heard tower call the winds at 080/6 just a few minutes before I took the runway. I was cleared for takeoff; I acknowledged that and set the speed levers to high and noted rpm in normal range. I advanced the power levers and noted the right engine torque was lagging significantly behind the left engine torque. The airplane started veering to the right. I brought both throttles to idle and into reverse. I tried to use differential power; nose wheel steering and brakes to keep the aircraft on the runway. However; I wasn't able to correct the large right turn to keep the aircraft on the pavement. As I saw that I was about to depart the runway; I attempted to steer the airplane to miss the obstacles on the side of the runway. I hit one runway light; but managed to miss the large black taxiway sign that was just a few feet left of the airplane. I'm sure that I had the nose wheel steering button depressed on the throttle; because I never reached a speed and power setting where I would have released it. I saw that the nose wheel was cocked to the right after I got out of the aircraft. With the engines shut down; I also saw that one propeller tip on the left engine was bent.
A Metroliner Captain reported losing control of the aircraft at the start of the takeoff roll; due to an asymmetrical thrust condition; which resulted in damage to the aircraft.