A loud explosion on takeoff results in a high speed abort.

Attributes
ACN	293735
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mex
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	293735
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The copilot was making the takeoff on runway 5L at mexico city and all was normal until rotation speed. At this point we heard a loud explosion and the aircraft veered sharply to the left. I elected to abort the takeoff. The aircraft was stopped on the runway with about 500 ft of runway remaining. We exited the runway and emergency equipment arrived promptly. Communication with emergency personnel was difficult and led to much confusion. The engines were shut down and when we determined that no fire danger existed, an evacuate/evacuation was not ordered. The passenger were deplaned using a people mover. Under normal conditions, I would not attempt an abort at such a high speed unless I was convinced the aircraft was severely damaged. The loud explosion and yawing of the aircraft made me believe that there was severe danger and that aborting was the only way to keep the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft could have been made ready for evacuate/evacuation if needed. The confusion and difficulty with communication might have caused this to be overlooked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOUD EXPLOSION ON TKOF RESULTS IN A HIGH SPD ABORT.

Narrative: THE COPLT WAS MAKING THE TKOF ON RWY 5L AT MEXICO CITY AND ALL WAS NORMAL UNTIL ROTATION SPD. AT THIS POINT WE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND THE ACFT VEERED SHARPLY TO THE L. I ELECTED TO ABORT THE TKOF. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ON THE RWY WITH ABOUT 500 FT OF RWY REMAINING. WE EXITED THE RWY AND EMER EQUIP ARRIVED PROMPTLY. COM WITH EMER PERSONNEL WAS DIFFICULT AND LED TO MUCH CONFUSION. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND WHEN WE DETERMINED THAT NO FIRE DANGER EXISTED, AN EVAC WAS NOT ORDERED. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED USING A PEOPLE MOVER. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, I WOULD NOT ATTEMPT AN ABORT AT SUCH A HIGH SPD UNLESS I WAS CONVINCED THE ACFT WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE LOUD EXPLOSION AND YAWING OF THE ACFT MADE ME BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS SEVERE DANGER AND THAT ABORTING WAS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY. THE ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN MADE READY FOR EVAC IF NEEDED. THE CONFUSION AND DIFFICULTY WITH COM MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THIS TO BE OVERLOOKED.

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.