What happened
During a takeoff roll, the pilot of a twin turboprop aircraft attempted to abort the departure after noticing a discrepancy with the airspeed indicator. As the aircraft accelerated and power was increased beyond 80 percent, the pilot observed that the airspeed needle remained at zero. In response, the pilot reduced the power levers to flight idle and then to ground fine, but failed to engage the reverse thrust.
Air traffic controllers observed the aircraft's nose wheel lifting off the ground roughly three-quarters of the way down the 4,602-foot runway. The aircraft subsequently exited the runway, colliding with two fences and an occupied automobile. There were no reported fatalities or injuries mentioned in the immediate impact sequence, though the collision involved a vehicle.
Findings
Investigations into the aircraft's pitot/static systems revealed no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions. Similarly, the braking system was found to be fully operational. While the aircraft's required accelerate-stop distance for the specific weight and environmental conditions was calculated at 4,100 feet—within the 4,602-foot runway length—the failure to utilize reverse thrust contributed to the overrun.
At the time of the accident, the pilot had a total of 10,867.5 flight hours, with 34.7 hours specifically in this aircraft type. The pilot had completed type rating and 14 CFR 135 training in this model approximately one month prior to the event.