Narrative:

The flight was atl to clt. Both pilots not familiar with atl airport. As such, much concentration was placed on taxi diagrams, route and instructions. Consequently, takeoff flap selection on the before takeoff checklist was missed. At end of runway as power was advanced, the takeoff confign warning horn sounded due to flaps not being in takeoff position. Takeoff flaps were then selected and in proper confign at takeoff. At initial sounding of horn power was left at takeoff setting, both pilots looking for cause. I selected takeoff flaps as soon as I realized this was the reason for the horn. I looked at the captain waiting to see if he wanted to abort the takeoff, he continued scanning and said nothing. I did not reduce the power. The flaps were at takeoff position prior to rotation and a normal uneventful takeoff was accomplished. In looking back at the situation, I now realize that I should have immediately retarded the throttles and then looked for the cause. A similar situation happened to me several yrs ago when I was a newly hired copilot. When the horn sounded then the captain immediately selected takeoff flaps and told me to continue. Being new and on probation then, I was not going to question a senior captain, so I followed his instructions. Contributing to this is the fact that any time an abort is logged by the tower, they request the reason, and pass this information on to FAA flight standards, who will want to know the reason and circumstances for the abort. I, like most pilots, want to avoid any conflicts with the FAA. Consequently, I feel that I was 'spring loaded' to continue so as not to have to explain a mistake and/or omission.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG BEGINS TKOF ROLL WITH NO FLAPS. WARNING HORN ALERTS AND FLAPS EXTENDED, CONTINUE TKOF.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS ATL TO CLT. BOTH PLTS NOT FAMILIAR WITH ATL ARPT. AS SUCH, MUCH CONCENTRATION WAS PLACED ON TAXI DIAGRAMS, RTE AND INSTRUCTIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, TKOF FLAP SELECTION ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS MISSED. AT END OF RWY AS PWR WAS ADVANCED, THE TKOF CONFIGN WARNING HORN SOUNDED DUE TO FLAPS NOT BEING IN TKOF POS. TKOF FLAPS WERE THEN SELECTED AND IN PROPER CONFIGN AT TKOF. AT INITIAL SOUNDING OF HORN PWR WAS LEFT AT TKOF SETTING, BOTH PLTS LOOKING FOR CAUSE. I SELECTED TKOF FLAPS AS SOON AS I REALIZED THIS WAS THE REASON FOR THE HORN. I LOOKED AT THE CAPT WAITING TO SEE IF HE WANTED TO ABORT THE TKOF, HE CONTINUED SCANNING AND SAID NOTHING. I DID NOT REDUCE THE PWR. THE FLAPS WERE AT TKOF POS PRIOR TO ROTATION AND A NORMAL UNEVENTFUL TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED. IN LOOKING BACK AT THE SIT, I NOW REALIZE THAT I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY RETARDED THE THROTTLES AND THEN LOOKED FOR THE CAUSE. A SIMILAR SIT HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL YRS AGO WHEN I WAS A NEWLY HIRED COPLT. WHEN THE HORN SOUNDED THEN THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY SELECTED TKOF FLAPS AND TOLD ME TO CONTINUE. BEING NEW AND ON PROBATION THEN, I WAS NOT GOING TO QUESTION A SENIOR CAPT, SO I FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS IS THE FACT THAT ANY TIME AN ABORT IS LOGGED BY THE TWR, THEY REQUEST THE REASON, AND PASS THIS INFO ON TO FAA FLT STANDARDS, WHO WILL WANT TO KNOW THE REASON AND CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE ABORT. I, LIKE MOST PLTS, WANT TO AVOID ANY CONFLICTS WITH THE FAA. CONSEQUENTLY, I FEEL THAT I WAS 'SPRING LOADED' TO CONTINUE SO AS NOT TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN A MISTAKE AND/OR OMISSION.

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.