Takeoff aborted. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	299470
Time
Date	199503
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
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	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	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 : 90 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 7500
ASRS Report	299470
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	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	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff roll, noticed controls very stiff. Discontinued takeoff and cleared runway. We then discovered autoplt switch had been inadvertently turned on. Checked system several times and normal takeoff made. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the md-80 for a major united states air carrier. He does not fly much as he is on reserve. The md-80 autoplt switch is just left of center below the glare shield. When the flight crew had to change from a flex takeoff mode to a non-flex takeoff, the first officer, who is very short, pulled himself forward with his left hand to change some engine parameters. In doing this, he inadvertently engaged the autoplt. The takeoff abort was reported to the air carrier flight department. The captain got a call from his chief pilot within an hour after getting to his layover hotel. Both the captain and first officer got a line check when flying through their home base the next day. The reporter has not heard from the FAA on this. The reporter said that his chief pilot had never heard of this type incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORTED.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL, NOTICED CTLS VERY STIFF. DISCONTINUED TKOF AND CLRED RWY. WE THEN DISCOVERED AUTOPLT SWITCH HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY TURNED ON. CHKED SYS SEVERAL TIMES AND NORMAL TKOF MADE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE MD-80 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE DOES NOT FLY MUCH AS HE IS ON RESERVE. THE MD-80 AUTOPLT SWITCH IS JUST L OF CTR BELOW THE GLARE SHIELD. WHEN THE FLC HAD TO CHANGE FROM A FLEX TKOF MODE TO A NON-FLEX TKOF, THE FO, WHO IS VERY SHORT, PULLED HIMSELF FORWARD WITH HIS L HAND TO CHANGE SOME ENG PARAMETERS. IN DOING THIS, HE INADVERTENTLY ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. THE TKOF ABORT WAS RPTED TO THE ACR FLT DEPT. THE CAPT GOT A CALL FROM HIS CHIEF PLT WITHIN AN HR AFTER GETTING TO HIS LAYOVER HOTEL. BOTH THE CAPT AND FO GOT A LINE CHK WHEN FLYING THROUGH THEIR HOME BASE THE NEXT DAY. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS. THE RPTR SAID THAT HIS CHIEF PLT HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS TYPE INCIDENT.

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.