An air carrier mdt crew aborted its takeoff because of a faulty takeoff warning system.

Attributes
ACN	243283
Time
Date	199306
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	243283
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : rejected takeoff other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Attempted a takeoff on runway 4 at lga. The takeoff warning horn sounded so we aborted the takeoff. I was the PF of the mdt aircraft. Apparently we were supposed to make a left turn off the runway, but we made a right. I didn't hear the instructions clearly and the captain made a right turn off the runway. Tower made us re-cross the runway and get on a taxiway on the other side and hold short of another taxiway which we didn't because we got involved in calling maintenance and resetting the items that could set off the takeoff warning horn. The mdt aircraft is susceptible to nuisance trips on the takeoff warning system and our company has procedures to reset items and retest the system before attempting another takeoff. The problem is some FAA offices view any aborted takeoff as evidence of someone having made an error even though the mdt has a history of false takeoff warning horns. The whole abort and confusion with the controllers was all the result of a fault with the design on the warning horn system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MDT CREW ABORTED ITS TKOF BECAUSE OF A FAULTY TKOF WARNING SYS.

Narrative: ATTEMPTED A TKOF ON RWY 4 AT LGA. THE TKOF WARNING HORN SOUNDED SO WE ABORTED THE TKOF. I WAS THE PF OF THE MDT ACFT. APPARENTLY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MAKE A L TURN OFF THE RWY, BUT WE MADE A R. I DIDN'T HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS CLRLY AND THE CAPT MADE A R TURN OFF THE RWY. TWR MADE US RE-CROSS THE RWY AND GET ON A TXWY ON THE OTHER SIDE AND HOLD SHORT OF ANOTHER TXWY WHICH WE DIDN'T BECAUSE WE GOT INVOLVED IN CALLING MAINT AND RESETTING THE ITEMS THAT COULD SET OFF THE TKOF WARNING HORN. THE MDT ACFT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO NUISANCE TRIPS ON THE TKOF WARNING SYS AND OUR COMPANY HAS PROCS TO RESET ITEMS AND RETEST THE SYS BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANOTHER TKOF. THE PROB IS SOME FAA OFFICES VIEW ANY ABORTED TKOF AS EVIDENCE OF SOMEONE HAVING MADE AN ERROR EVEN THOUGH THE MDT HAS A HISTORY OF FALSE TKOF WARNING HORNS. THE WHOLE ABORT AND CONFUSION WITH THE CTLRS WAS ALL THE RESULT OF A FAULT WITH THE DESIGN ON THE WARNING HORN SYS.

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.