Narrative:

Tower cleared us into position on runway 18 and advised 'be ready for immediate as soon as traffic clears.' I began spooling the engines. Takeoff clearance included the remark that traffic was on 2 mi final, and that we should go or clear the runway. After power was set and autothrottle showed 'throttle hold' -- tower said 'cancel takeoff clearance and turn right at runway 15.' for a couple of seconds I went through the decision frequency/recognition timeout process and by the time I had gotten the instruction straight in my head we were well established at 100 KTS in the takeoff roll. Tower made 3 calls to us during the remainder of the roll, but we did not answer until airborne and out at 500 ft. Our training emphasizes not aborting once the power is set except for serious, emergency type problems. I am extremely reluctant to abort takeoff for traffic sequencing. This is the first time in 22 years I have ever been asked to abort to solve a traffic sequence problem. National airport is dangerous enough without attempting to shoehorn more traffic than it will hold. We could have held for 45 more seconds (in fact gladly would have held) to insure adequate clearance. Having made the initial mistake of clearing us for takeoff, the correct solution for the controller would have been a go around for inbound traffic with instructions to maintain visual clearance -- not an attempt to expedite us off the runway by demanding an abort and an immediate runway clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ACR MLG REFUSED TO ABORT TKOF WHEN INSTRUCTED BY TWR.

Narrative: TWR CLRED US INTO POS ON RWY 18 AND ADVISED 'BE READY FOR IMMEDIATE AS SOON AS TFC CLRS.' I BEGAN SPOOLING THE ENGS. TKOF CLRNC INCLUDED THE REMARK THAT TFC WAS ON 2 MI FINAL, AND THAT WE SHOULD GO OR CLR THE RWY. AFTER PWR WAS SET AND AUTOTHROTTLE SHOWED 'THROTTLE HOLD' -- TWR SAID 'CANCEL TKOF CLRNC AND TURN R AT RWY 15.' FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS I WENT THROUGH THE DECISION FREQ/RECOGNITION TIMEOUT PROCESS AND BY THE TIME I HAD GOTTEN THE INSTRUCTION STRAIGHT IN MY HEAD WE WERE WELL ESTABLISHED AT 100 KTS IN THE TKOF ROLL. TWR MADE 3 CALLS TO US DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE ROLL, BUT WE DID NOT ANSWER UNTIL AIRBORNE AND OUT AT 500 FT. OUR TRAINING EMPHASIZES NOT ABORTING ONCE THE PWR IS SET EXCEPT FOR SERIOUS, EMER TYPE PROBS. I AM EXTREMELY RELUCTANT TO ABORT TKOF FOR TFC SEQUENCING. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 22 YEARS I HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED TO ABORT TO SOLVE A TFC SEQUENCE PROB. NATIONAL ARPT IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO SHOEHORN MORE TFC THAN IT WILL HOLD. WE COULD HAVE HELD FOR 45 MORE SECONDS (IN FACT GLADLY WOULD HAVE HELD) TO INSURE ADEQUATE CLRNC. HAVING MADE THE INITIAL MISTAKE OF CLRING US FOR TKOF, THE CORRECT SOLUTION FOR THE CTLR WOULD HAVE BEEN A GAR FOR INBOUND TFC WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CLRNC -- NOT AN ATTEMPT TO EXPEDITE US OFF THE RWY BY DEMANDING AN ABORT AND AN IMMEDIATE RWY CLRNC.

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.