Narrative:

Our aircraft had just been released from the lax maintenance hangar after an involved inspection. I pushed the throttles forward for takeoff and as the so adjusted takeoff power, he made comments indicating the #3 engine would not produce enough power because the throttle would not move forward far enough. After a brief discussion between the so and the captain, the captain called for a rejected takeoff. Back at our gate, maintenance came to the cockpit, and when they saw the #3 throttle move through its range of movement, they seemed to immediately know the cause. They said it was a power limiter that was installed during the inspection for the purpose of engine runup. They removed this device and we departed lax to hnl without further incident. On our receiving aircraft checklist there is the item 'throttles and takeoff warning.' I read the challenge and the captain responds 'free, closed, and checked.' typically, most capts move the throttles forward far enough to sound the takeoff warning horn and then back to the idle position. I was reading the checklist so I am not sure that happened on that night, but I suspect the problem may have been discovered before we pushed off the gate had the #3 throttle been moved forward to the stop rather than just sounding the horn. It may be simple to rig this and other common post maintenance problems in the simulator. If that is reasonably easy to do, I recommend developing awareness of these potential problems by actually discovering (or not discovering) them in a realistic simulator environment. Supplemental information from acn 207901: the aircraft EPR on the #3 engine was approximately 1.3. I told first officer to abort. We taxied back to the gate. Had it fixed in about 5-10 min. We waited till the brakes cooled and were on our way without further delay. I was told by maintenance that a mechanical stop had been placed on the #3 throttle and had not been removed. When the checklist called for 'throttles' I ran the throttles up, listening for the takeoff warning horn, which I heard, also noting the throttles were free. I then answered free and closed. I apparently did not run the throttles to the full forward stop. I recommend that all throttles be pushed to the full forward stops then be brought back.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORTED WHEN #3 THROTTLE CANNOT BE ADVANCED TO TKOF THRUST.

Narrative: OUR ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM THE LAX MAINT HANGAR AFTER AN INVOLVED INSPECTION. I PUSHED THE THROTTLES FORWARD FOR TKOF AND AS THE SO ADJUSTED TKOF PWR, HE MADE COMMENTS INDICATING THE #3 ENG WOULD NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH PWR BECAUSE THE THROTTLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD FAR ENOUGH. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION BTWN THE SO AND THE CAPT, THE CAPT CALLED FOR A REJECTED TKOF. BACK AT OUR GATE, MAINT CAME TO THE COCKPIT, AND WHEN THEY SAW THE #3 THROTTLE MOVE THROUGH ITS RANGE OF MOVEMENT, THEY SEEMED TO IMMEDIATELY KNOW THE CAUSE. THEY SAID IT WAS A PWR LIMITER THAT WAS INSTALLED DURING THE INSPECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENG RUNUP. THEY REMOVED THIS DEVICE AND WE DEPARTED LAX TO HNL WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ON OUR RECEIVING ACFT CHKLIST THERE IS THE ITEM 'THROTTLES AND TKOF WARNING.' I READ THE CHALLENGE AND THE CAPT RESPONDS 'FREE, CLOSED, AND CHKED.' TYPICALLY, MOST CAPTS MOVE THE THROTTLES FORWARD FAR ENOUGH TO SOUND THE TKOF WARNING HORN AND THEN BACK TO THE IDLE POS. I WAS READING THE CHKLIST SO I AM NOT SURE THAT HAPPENED ON THAT NIGHT, BUT I SUSPECT THE PROB MAY HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BEFORE WE PUSHED OFF THE GATE HAD THE #3 THROTTLE BEEN MOVED FORWARD TO THE STOP RATHER THAN JUST SOUNDING THE HORN. IT MAY BE SIMPLE TO RIG THIS AND OTHER COMMON POST MAINT PROBS IN THE SIMULATOR. IF THAT IS REASONABLY EASY TO DO, I RECOMMEND DEVELOPING AWARENESS OF THESE POTENTIAL PROBS BY ACTUALLY DISCOVERING (OR NOT DISCOVERING) THEM IN A REALISTIC SIMULATOR ENVIRONMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 207901: THE ACFT EPR ON THE #3 ENG WAS APPROX 1.3. I TOLD FO TO ABORT. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. HAD IT FIXED IN ABOUT 5-10 MIN. WE WAITED TILL THE BRAKES COOLED AND WERE ON OUR WAY WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. I WAS TOLD BY MAINT THAT A MECHANICAL STOP HAD BEEN PLACED ON THE #3 THROTTLE AND HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. WHEN THE CHKLIST CALLED FOR 'THROTTLES' I RAN THE THROTTLES UP, LISTENING FOR THE TKOF WARNING HORN, WHICH I HEARD, ALSO NOTING THE THROTTLES WERE FREE. I THEN ANSWERED FREE AND CLOSED. I APPARENTLY DID NOT RUN THE THROTTLES TO THE FULL FORWARD STOP. I RECOMMEND THAT ALL THROTTLES BE PUSHED TO THE FULL FORWARD STOPS THEN BE BROUGHT BACK.

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.