Pilot continued takeoff roll after tower local controller had cancelled takeoff clearance.

Attributes
ACN	144529
Time
Date	199005
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : syr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	144529
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Cleared into position on runway 4L, we taxied slowing into position advising tower we needed to run up the engines before takeoff. No acknowledgement by tower on this. Immediately following tower cleared us to takeoff while we were still aligning the plane on the runway. After setting brakes and running up engines, just as we released brakes and commenced rolling, tower very impatiently and in the form of a question said, 'cancel takeoff clearance--are you going, or what?' we acknowledged that we were 'rolling, ' to which tower said nothing and we continued the takeoff. 1) the first officer and I felt by the strict letter of communication we should have aborted the takeoff upon the words 'cancel takeoff,' but we also felt it was phrased in such a way that we really felt what she said was equivalent to, 'are you going or not? If not, cancel takeoff clearance.' 2) we should have been more aggressive in getting tower to acknowledge our statement that we needed to run the engines up. Even so, tower gave us less than 15 seconds from 'taxi into position' clearance to 'cleared for takeoff' clearance. It took 10 seconds just to taxi into position. 3) normal takeoff procedure for our aircraft is to hold brakes, run up engines and release. I feel tower was expecting too much of the operators that day and verbally sounded impatient if anyone didn't use a 'rolling' takeoff procedure (traffic was landing on intersecting runways). 4) I think the rushed atmosphere of the operations at ord contributed to this in all ways: a) tower either didn't hear or didn't pay attention to our statement to run up the engines prior to takeoff. B) tower gave us less than 10 seconds to maneuver from 45 degrees to runway into position before asking, 'are you going or what--cancel takeoff,' etc. C) since we knew landing traffic was still 1 mi or more out, we assumed tower was threatening to cancel our clearance at the time we commenced rolling if we didn't get going--a dangerous assumption!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CONTINUED TKOF ROLL AFTER TWR LCL CTLR HAD CANCELLED TKOF CLRNC.

Narrative: CLRED INTO POS ON RWY 4L, WE TAXIED SLOWING INTO POS ADVISING TWR WE NEEDED TO RUN UP THE ENGS BEFORE TKOF. NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY TWR ON THIS. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TWR CLRED US TO TKOF WHILE WE WERE STILL ALIGNING THE PLANE ON THE RWY. AFTER SETTING BRAKES AND RUNNING UP ENGS, JUST AS WE RELEASED BRAKES AND COMMENCED ROLLING, TWR VERY IMPATIENTLY AND IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION SAID, 'CANCEL TKOF CLRNC--ARE YOU GOING, OR WHAT?' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE 'ROLLING, ' TO WHICH TWR SAID NOTHING AND WE CONTINUED THE TKOF. 1) THE F/O AND I FELT BY THE STRICT LETTER OF COM WE SHOULD HAVE ABORTED THE TKOF UPON THE WORDS 'CANCEL TKOF,' BUT WE ALSO FELT IT WAS PHRASED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE REALLY FELT WHAT SHE SAID WAS EQUIVALENT TO, 'ARE YOU GOING OR NOT? IF NOT, CANCEL TKOF CLRNC.' 2) WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN GETTING TWR TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STATEMENT THAT WE NEEDED TO RUN THE ENGS UP. EVEN SO, TWR GAVE US LESS THAN 15 SECS FROM 'TAXI INTO POS' CLRNC TO 'CLRED FOR TKOF' CLRNC. IT TOOK 10 SECS JUST TO TAXI INTO POS. 3) NORMAL TKOF PROC FOR OUR ACFT IS TO HOLD BRAKES, RUN UP ENGS AND RELEASE. I FEEL TWR WAS EXPECTING TOO MUCH OF THE OPERATORS THAT DAY AND VERBALLY SOUNDED IMPATIENT IF ANYONE DIDN'T USE A 'ROLLING' TKOF PROC (TFC WAS LNDG ON INTERSECTING RWYS). 4) I THINK THE RUSHED ATMOSPHERE OF THE OPS AT ORD CONTRIBUTED TO THIS IN ALL WAYS: A) TWR EITHER DIDN'T HEAR OR DIDN'T PAY ATTN TO OUR STATEMENT TO RUN UP THE ENGS PRIOR TO TKOF. B) TWR GAVE US LESS THAN 10 SECS TO MANEUVER FROM 45 DEGS TO RWY INTO POS BEFORE ASKING, 'ARE YOU GOING OR WHAT--CANCEL TKOF,' ETC. C) SINCE WE KNEW LNDG TFC WAS STILL 1 MI OR MORE OUT, WE ASSUMED TWR WAS THREATENING TO CANCEL OUR CLRNC AT THE TIME WE COMMENCED ROLLING IF WE DIDN'T GET GOING--A DANGEROUS ASSUMPTION!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.