Narrative:

We completed our preflight and taxi duties and were cleared onto runway 21C. Metropolitan tower cleared us for takeoff. I advanced the thrust levers and immediately became aware that my #2 window was not fully closed. I retarded the thrust levers and cleared the runway, secured the window and completed the trip without further incident. The next obvious question is how did I miss this during preflight? A couple of things come to mind. I do remember looking at the window during my preflight flow and noting that the window looked closed, but, what I was looking at was the window frame. It looked closed. What I should have been looking at was the over-center lock. Our company flies 2 versions of the DC10 a -30 and -40 model. I generally fly the -40 model. There are significant differences in the cockpit layouts and preflight procedures between the 2 models. The INS on the -30 is significantly more complicated than the -40 and takes more time to program. Because of my lack of experience on the -30 there is more pressure to accomplish the preflight within the allowed or should I say allotted time. I can say I was a little rushed to accomplish my tasks. Another contributing factor is that the window frame on the 2 models is different. When I looked at the -30 frame again it still looked closed. I tried the same thing with a -40 and it looked open. Another factor, fatigue. I had a poor night's sleep the night before and I feel that may have contributed to the problem. I don't think this will ever happen again to me because on all future preflts I will go through the motions of opening and securing the window myself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-30 ACFT. CAPT RPTR FAILED TO SEE #2 WINDOW NOT CLOSED COMPLETELY ON PREFLT. ON TKOF ROLL NOTICED IT AND REJECTED THE TKOF.

Narrative: WE COMPLETED OUR PREFLT AND TAXI DUTIES AND WERE CLRED ONTO RWY 21C. METRO TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. I ADVANCED THE THRUST LEVERS AND IMMEDIATELY BECAME AWARE THAT MY #2 WINDOW WAS NOT FULLY CLOSED. I RETARDED THE THRUST LEVERS AND CLRED THE RWY, SECURED THE WINDOW AND COMPLETED THE TRIP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE NEXT OBVIOUS QUESTION IS HOW DID I MISS THIS DURING PREFLT? A COUPLE OF THINGS COME TO MIND. I DO REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE WINDOW DURING MY PREFLT FLOW AND NOTING THAT THE WINDOW LOOKED CLOSED, BUT, WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT WAS THE WINDOW FRAME. IT LOOKED CLOSED. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT WAS THE OVER-CTR LOCK. OUR COMPANY FLIES 2 VERSIONS OF THE DC10 A -30 AND -40 MODEL. I GENERALLY FLY THE -40 MODEL. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE COCKPIT LAYOUTS AND PREFLT PROCS BTWN THE 2 MODELS. THE INS ON THE -30 IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THE -40 AND TAKES MORE TIME TO PROGRAM. BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE ON THE -30 THERE IS MORE PRESSURE TO ACCOMPLISH THE PREFLT WITHIN THE ALLOWED OR SHOULD I SAY ALLOTTED TIME. I CAN SAY I WAS A LITTLE RUSHED TO ACCOMPLISH MY TASKS. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT THE WINDOW FRAME ON THE 2 MODELS IS DIFFERENT. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE -30 FRAME AGAIN IT STILL LOOKED CLOSED. I TRIED THE SAME THING WITH A -40 AND IT LOOKED OPEN. ANOTHER FACTOR, FATIGUE. I HAD A POOR NIGHT'S SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I FEEL THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. I DON'T THINK THIS WILL EVER HAPPEN AGAIN TO ME BECAUSE ON ALL FUTURE PREFLTS I WILL GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF OPENING AND SECURING THE WINDOW MYSELF.

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.