Narrative:

Flight bos-bwi, pushed back and advised ATC delay for wheels up. Cleared to taxi and hold on inactive runway behind company flight with same delay situation. Taxi initiated and with company flight in sight, I (captain) called for 'checklist' checklist started, items being completed, when interruption by ground for additional taxi instruction. Checklist resumed then interrupted again. Now heading towards takeoff runway, captain called again for checklist. First officer stated 'complete.' cleared into position call 'checklist' and final takeoff items completed. I noted the close sep of landing aircraft on intersecting runway 33L, and commented that we will have to wait for all (3) inbound aircraft, I was sure. Suddenly 'cleared for takeoff' came as a surprise. I advanced the throttles and heard the takeoff confign warning horn. I looked down and noted the close proximity of the stabilizer setting to the green arc (5.4 was desired setting) at the same time I heard the flap handle being reset. Considering the close proximity of the landing aircraft I elected to terminate the takeoff and retarded the throttles at approximately 54 percent N1. Tower frequency was saturated by the tower directing aircraft. Realizing the tower may make large transport on final go around not knowing why I was not rolling, I taxied up to the first taxiway and cleared the runway. Tower immediately demanded to know what was wrong, and did we need assistance. First officer replied 'negative' and that we had a light, that was all. Tower demanded to know what light and our (tail) number. I had no knowledge of a light, so east intervened and said we had a flap warning horn, meaning to say a 'takeoff horn'. I felt the stabilizer had tripped it. We were then cleared for takeoff and flew west/O incident. I reported to my company that the stabilizer setting was what tripped the horn, but after further evaluation with first officer, realized the flaps had not been (fully) extended. I then advised company that flaps were the problem. Upon arriving at bwi, I called my dispatcher to advise him of the action I had taken. In describing the incident to him I stated the stabilizer was the probable cause. The occurrence to me was not serious, but evidently had been categorized as an aborted takeoff. I could not have rolled 100' nor did I achieve takeoff power. In fact I did not even need to brake the aircraft other than normally to clear the runway. This crew is very 'checklist aware' and uses checklists at all times. What happened here was a saturated ground control, plus two interruptions of checklist in progress, that led to an item being bypassed. The close proximity of landing aircraft and inability to contact tower led to my decision to clear the runway, rather to hold in position. Also the immediate information demands by the tower led to confusion as to what the actual cause of the takeoff confign horn really was. Solution: the new checklist device being tested by company that prevents checklist oversights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORT ACCOUNT TKOF WARNING HORN SOUNDED AND FLAP WRONG LIGHT ON.

Narrative: FLT BOS-BWI, PUSHED BACK AND ADVISED ATC DELAY FOR WHEELS UP. CLRED TO TAXI AND HOLD ON INACTIVE RWY BEHIND COMPANY FLT WITH SAME DELAY SITUATION. TAXI INITIATED AND WITH COMPANY FLT IN SIGHT, I (CAPT) CALLED FOR 'CHKLIST' CHKLIST STARTED, ITEMS BEING COMPLETED, WHEN INTERRUPTION BY GND FOR ADDITIONAL TAXI INSTRUCTION. CHKLIST RESUMED THEN INTERRUPTED AGAIN. NOW HDG TOWARDS TKOF RWY, CAPT CALLED AGAIN FOR CHKLIST. F/O STATED 'COMPLETE.' CLRED INTO POS CALL 'CHKLIST' AND FINAL TKOF ITEMS COMPLETED. I NOTED THE CLOSE SEP OF LNDG ACFT ON INTERSECTING RWY 33L, AND COMMENTED THAT WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR ALL (3) INBND ACFT, I WAS SURE. SUDDENLY 'CLRED FOR TKOF' CAME AS A SURPRISE. I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES AND HEARD THE TKOF CONFIGN WARNING HORN. I LOOKED DOWN AND NOTED THE CLOSE PROX OF THE STABILIZER SETTING TO THE GREEN ARC (5.4 WAS DESIRED SETTING) AT THE SAME TIME I HEARD THE FLAP HANDLE BEING RESET. CONSIDERING THE CLOSE PROX OF THE LNDG ACFT I ELECTED TO TERMINATE THE TKOF AND RETARDED THE THROTTLES AT APPROX 54 PERCENT N1. TWR FREQ WAS SATURATED BY THE TWR DIRECTING ACFT. REALIZING THE TWR MAY MAKE LGT ON FINAL GO AROUND NOT KNOWING WHY I WAS NOT ROLLING, I TAXIED UP TO THE FIRST TXWY AND CLRED THE RWY. TWR IMMEDIATELY DEMANDED TO KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG, AND DID WE NEED ASSISTANCE. F/O REPLIED 'NEGATIVE' AND THAT WE HAD A LIGHT, THAT WAS ALL. TWR DEMANDED TO KNOW WHAT LIGHT AND OUR (TAIL) NUMBER. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF A LIGHT, SO E INTERVENED AND SAID WE HAD A FLAP WARNING HORN, MEANING TO SAY A 'TKOF HORN'. I FELT THE STABILIZER HAD TRIPPED IT. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF AND FLEW W/O INCIDENT. I RPTED TO MY COMPANY THAT THE STABILIZER SETTING WAS WHAT TRIPPED THE HORN, BUT AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION WITH F/O, REALIZED THE FLAPS HAD NOT BEEN (FULLY) EXTENDED. I THEN ADVISED COMPANY THAT FLAPS WERE THE PROB. UPON ARRIVING AT BWI, I CALLED MY DISPATCHER TO ADVISE HIM OF THE ACTION I HAD TAKEN. IN DESCRIBING THE INCIDENT TO HIM I STATED THE STABILIZER WAS THE PROBABLE CAUSE. THE OCCURRENCE TO ME WAS NOT SERIOUS, BUT EVIDENTLY HAD BEEN CATEGORIZED AS AN ABORTED TKOF. I COULD NOT HAVE ROLLED 100' NOR DID I ACHIEVE TKOF PWR. IN FACT I DID NOT EVEN NEED TO BRAKE THE ACFT OTHER THAN NORMALLY TO CLR THE RWY. THIS CREW IS VERY 'CHKLIST AWARE' AND USES CHKLISTS AT ALL TIMES. WHAT HAPPENED HERE WAS A SATURATED GND CTL, PLUS TWO INTERRUPTIONS OF CHKLIST IN PROGRESS, THAT LED TO AN ITEM BEING BYPASSED. THE CLOSE PROX OF LNDG ACFT AND INABILITY TO CONTACT TWR LED TO MY DECISION TO CLR THE RWY, RATHER TO HOLD IN POS. ALSO THE IMMEDIATE INFO DEMANDS BY THE TWR LED TO CONFUSION AS TO WHAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE TKOF CONFIGN HORN REALLY WAS. SOLUTION: THE NEW CHKLIST DEVICE BEING TESTED BY COMPANY THAT PREVENTS CHKLIST OVERSIGHTS.

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.