20120218002759I

Fifteen minutes after arriving at Kipnuk Airport without event, the pilot in command, hauling four passengers and their baggage, failed to safely depart runway 15 resulting in damage to the aircraft; no reported injuries. Light to heavy snow had been falling all morning. The runway centerline had been recently plowed 20 feet wide. The remaining width had 2-4 inches of loose snow to the edge of the runway, marked by sporadic, damaged cones and a 3-4 foot snow berm. The PIC reported the prevailing visibility at the time of the event was 3 miles, lower ceilings, flat light and a 15 knot wind from the east, a direct crosswind. The PIC performed a contaminated takeoff technique, getting the nose in the air as soon as possible. About 60 knots, with the nose wheel off the ground, the PIC was unable to detect the aircraft drifting to the left due to the flat light and the obscured and damaged runway edge markers. The left main wheel started to drag through the 2-4 inches of loose snow, enough to pull the aircraft further left. The PIC added full right rudder at this time but was unable to overcome the drag created by the snow. The aircraft slid into the snow berm on the edge of the runway, resulting in the nose wheel breaking off and the propeller hitting the ground. An evacuation was ordered by the PIC. No injuries were reported from the incident or the evacuation.