Incident
In preparation for a cross-country flight, an aircraft was loaded in a hangar and subsequently towed to the departure point by FBO personnel. The takeoff was scheduled during a snow storm. Following the tow, the nose wheel torque link was not properly connected. During the takeoff run, the torque link separated, leading to a loss of nose wheel steering. The pilot aborted the takeoff, but during the abort, the aircraft departed the side of the runway. The nose wheel was sheared off, causing damage to both engines, the wings, the fuselage, and the landing gear. All four occupants escaped uninjured.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was a failure by FBO personnel to properly connect the nose wheel torque link after towing the aircraft.