Narrative:

The start and taxi were normal and well within the parameters for the engines installed on the aircraft. However, when cleared for takeoff, the right engine would not produce adequate thrust for the throttle position. The right throttle was actually about 4' forward of the left throttle. The engine also appeared to spool up much slower than the left engine. After several seconds, it dawned on me that the left engine was performing much better than the right. At this point I aborted the takeoff roll and cleared the runway. I think that in trying to get the right engine to match the left engine, I was mentally trying to make the gauges look correct. I think that this is a common problem amongst people that operate machinery. That is the attempt to make the INS read correctly instead of recognizing a fault. While my takeoff roll never reached more than 70 or 80 KTS, I was occupied for several seconds with trying to make things look right rather than accepting that something was wrong. From now on, if something doesn't look right, I'm stopping right there and taking the aircraft back to the gate. I'll let my excellent maintenance folks make the gauges look right. By the way, I found out later that maintenance had replaced the fuel control and fuel pump the night before. We were the first to fly the aircraft since it had returned from the hangar.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT DISCOVERS THE 'DISBELIEF PHENOMENON' DURING LOW SPEED ABORT FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS.

Narrative: THE START AND TAXI WERE NORMAL AND WELL WITHIN THE PARAMETERS FOR THE ENGS INSTALLED ON THE ACFT. HOWEVER, WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF, THE RIGHT ENG WOULD NOT PRODUCE ADEQUATE THRUST FOR THE THROTTLE POS. THE RIGHT THROTTLE WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 4' FORWARD OF THE LEFT THROTTLE. THE ENG ALSO APPEARED TO SPOOL UP MUCH SLOWER THAN THE LEFT ENG. AFTER SEVERAL SECS, IT DAWNED ON ME THAT THE LEFT ENG WAS PERFORMING MUCH BETTER THAN THE RIGHT. AT THIS POINT I ABORTED THE TKOF ROLL AND CLRED THE RWY. I THINK THAT IN TRYING TO GET THE RIGHT ENG TO MATCH THE LEFT ENG, I WAS MENTALLY TRYING TO MAKE THE GAUGES LOOK CORRECT. I THINK THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROB AMONGST PEOPLE THAT OPERATE MACHINERY. THAT IS THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE INS READ CORRECTLY INSTEAD OF RECOGNIZING A FAULT. WHILE MY TKOF ROLL NEVER REACHED MORE THAN 70 OR 80 KTS, I WAS OCCUPIED FOR SEVERAL SECS WITH TRYING TO MAKE THINGS LOOK RIGHT RATHER THAN ACCEPTING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. FROM NOW ON, IF SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, I'M STOPPING RIGHT THERE AND TAKING THE ACFT BACK TO THE GATE. I'LL LET MY EXCELLENT MAINT FOLKS MAKE THE GAUGES LOOK RIGHT. BY THE WAY, I FOUND OUT LATER THAT MAINT HAD REPLACED THE FUEL CTL AND FUEL PUMP THE NIGHT BEFORE. WE WERE THE FIRST TO FLY THE ACFT SINCE IT HAD RETURNED FROM THE HANGAR.

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.