Captain of widebody transport ordered takeoff abort due to a non reading airspeed indicator.

Attributes
ACN	273086
Time
Date	199405
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
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	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	273086
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On takeoff roll, captain's airspeed needle vibrated around 60 KTS as is expected. About the time one would expect airspeed alive I looked over at the first officer's airspeed indicator and noticed it was accelerating rapidly toward 100 KTS. I looked back at my airspeed indicator and noticing it was still not moving I rejected takeoff. The first officer thinks we reached a speed of 120 KTS. This was first officer's leg, but I had control of throttles. Automatic brakes were in use. Peak temperature was 295 degrees. Maintenance later indicated it was a total failure of #1 air data computer. The abort was uneventful and the crew performed according to training. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this incident occurred at iah, tx, airport. The cause of the faulty airspeed indicator was a bad air data computer electrical drive. This same part failed on a previous flight and the replacement part failed again during this takeoff abort. This part continued to work ok on future flts. Reporter further stated that he believed that an abort was better than continuing since there was plenty of runway to stop and a large amount of fuel would have needed to be dumped if return land became necessary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF WDB ORDERED TKOF ABORT DUE TO A NON READING AIRSPD INDICATOR.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL, CAPT'S AIRSPD NEEDLE VIBRATED AROUND 60 KTS AS IS EXPECTED. ABOUT THE TIME ONE WOULD EXPECT AIRSPD ALIVE I LOOKED OVER AT THE FO'S AIRSPD INDICATOR AND NOTICED IT WAS ACCELERATING RAPIDLY TOWARD 100 KTS. I LOOKED BACK AT MY AIRSPD INDICATOR AND NOTICING IT WAS STILL NOT MOVING I REJECTED TKOF. THE FO THINKS WE REACHED A SPD OF 120 KTS. THIS WAS FO'S LEG, BUT I HAD CTL OF THROTTLES. AUTO BRAKES WERE IN USE. PEAK TEMP WAS 295 DEGS. MAINT LATER INDICATED IT WAS A TOTAL FAILURE OF #1 ADC. THE ABORT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE CREW PERFORMED ACCORDING TO TRAINING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT IAH, TX, ARPT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAULTY AIRSPD INDICATOR WAS A BAD ADC ELECTRICAL DRIVE. THIS SAME PART FAILED ON A PREVIOUS FLT AND THE REPLACEMENT PART FAILED AGAIN DURING THIS TKOF ABORT. THIS PART CONTINUED TO WORK OK ON FUTURE FLTS. RPTR FURTHER STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT AN ABORT WAS BETTER THAN CONTINUING SINCE THERE WAS PLENTY OF RWY TO STOP AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO BE DUMPED IF RETURN LAND BECAME NECESSARY.

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.