Narrative:

Just prior to flight departure, flight lga-pit, flight attendant notified us that a passenger complained that the left aileron was drooping, additionally the passenger stated that he was a 'pilot.' I proceeded to personally check the alleged problem. The last aileron was drooping slightly however the right aileron was up slightly. This was not an abnormal indication because the dc-9 ailerons are moved by control tabs instead of direct control column movement. I returned to the cockpit where we completed a satisfactory control check. As I was finishing 'strapping in,' ground notified us to switch to tower who informed us that we had to takeoff immediately or lose our slot. We completed the before takeoff checklist as I advanced the throttles for taxi. As we were turning for runway alignment, we finished the 'below the line items' on the checklist. As I was further advancing the throttles for takeoff the first officer questioned that he did not get a 'spoiler deployed' light on the 'line up' control check. I requested that he check for the light again as we commenced the takeoff roll. Again the 'spoiler deployed' light did not illuminate. Lack of this light coupled with the passenger complaint planted a seed of doubt as to full control system integrity. I felt I had not other choice but to reject the takeoff at approximately 60 KTS. We returned to the gate and entered in the aircraft log the aileron displacement and failure to get the spoiler deployed light. Maintenance inspected the aircraft and found all flight controls to be normal and released the aircraft for service. We then proceeded to pit without event. A few days later I discovered that on nov/xx/94 the dc-9 pilots handbook had been changed to read 'the spoiler deployed light illuminated indicates when aircraft is on the ground and any spoiler panel is extended 10 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees and the throttles are near idle.' before it never mentioned throttle position. During our last checks, the throttles were up to move the aircraft. The system functioned properly! The last manual update was approximately 150 pages and I missed the subtle change. The engineering order adding this change was completed in jul/94.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ABORTED TKOF.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO FLT DEP, FLT LGA-PIT, FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED US THAT A PAX COMPLAINED THAT THE L AILERON WAS DROOPING, ADDITIONALLY THE PAX STATED THAT HE WAS A 'PLT.' I PROCEEDED TO PERSONALLY CHK THE ALLEGED PROB. THE LAST AILERON WAS DROOPING SLIGHTLY HOWEVER THE R AILERON WAS UP SLIGHTLY. THIS WAS NOT AN ABNORMAL INDICATION BECAUSE THE DC-9 AILERONS ARE MOVED BY CTL TABS INSTEAD OF DIRECT CTL COLUMN MOVEMENT. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT WHERE WE COMPLETED A SATISFACTORY CTL CHK. AS I WAS FINISHING 'STRAPPING IN,' GND NOTIFIED US TO SWITCH TO TWR WHO INFORMED US THAT WE HAD TO TKOF IMMEDIATELY OR LOSE OUR SLOT. WE COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AS I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES FOR TAXI. AS WE WERE TURNING FOR RWY ALIGNMENT, WE FINISHED THE 'BELOW THE LINE ITEMS' ON THE CHKLIST. AS I WAS FURTHER ADVANCING THE THROTTLES FOR TKOF THE FO QUESTIONED THAT HE DID NOT GET A 'SPOILER DEPLOYED' LIGHT ON THE 'LINE UP' CTL CHK. I REQUESTED THAT HE CHK FOR THE LIGHT AGAIN AS WE COMMENCED THE TKOF ROLL. AGAIN THE 'SPOILER DEPLOYED' LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. LACK OF THIS LIGHT COUPLED WITH THE PAX COMPLAINT PLANTED A SEED OF DOUBT AS TO FULL CTL SYS INTEGRITY. I FELT I HAD NOT OTHER CHOICE BUT TO REJECT THE TKOF AT APPROX 60 KTS. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND ENTERED IN THE ACFT LOG THE AILERON DISPLACEMENT AND FAILURE TO GET THE SPOILER DEPLOYED LIGHT. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND ALL FLT CTLS TO BE NORMAL AND RELEASED THE ACFT FOR SVC. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO PIT WITHOUT EVENT. A FEW DAYS LATER I DISCOVERED THAT ON NOV/XX/94 THE DC-9 PLTS HANDBOOK HAD BEEN CHANGED TO READ 'THE SPOILER DEPLOYED LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATES WHEN ACFT IS ON THE GND AND ANY SPOILER PANEL IS EXTENDED 10 DEGS PLUS OR MINUS 2 DEGS AND THE THROTTLES ARE NEAR IDLE.' BEFORE IT NEVER MENTIONED THROTTLE POS. DURING OUR LAST CHKS, THE THROTTLES WERE UP TO MOVE THE ACFT. THE SYS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY! THE LAST MANUAL UPDATE WAS APPROX 150 PAGES AND I MISSED THE SUBTLE CHANGE. THE ENGINEERING ORDER ADDING THIS CHANGE WAS COMPLETED IN JUL/94.

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.