Narrative:

Flight from pdx to sea. I was flying captain. At about vr the autothrottle system quit. I became airborne and was on runway 28L at pdx. After takeoff I was to turn left and fly the pdx 277 degree radial. The aircraft was very sluggish and sensitive at same time. I elected to continue the takeoff and fly the runway heading rather than turn right and intercept the pdx 277 degree radial. The problem with the airplane was a complete failure of the airplane's autoflt system. All inputs to the aircraft were completed by the first officer. I manually flew aircraft to sea without any other malfunctions. What I did was continue straight out without turning right to intercept the pdx 277 degree radial. That was the only non-standard procedure that I had to do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 AUTOFLT SYS FAILS ON TKOF ROLL. CREW REVERTS TO MANUAL, DEVIATES SLIGHTLY FROM DEP TRACK IN VFR CONDITIONS AND ARRIVES AT DEST SUCCESSFULLY.

Narrative: FLT FROM PDX TO SEA. I WAS FLYING CAPT. AT ABOUT VR THE AUTOTHROTTLE SYS QUIT. I BECAME AIRBORNE AND WAS ON RWY 28L AT PDX. AFTER TKOF I WAS TO TURN L AND FLY THE PDX 277 DEG RADIAL. THE ACFT WAS VERY SLUGGISH AND SENSITIVE AT SAME TIME. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TKOF AND FLY THE RWY HEADING RATHER THAN TURN R AND INTERCEPT THE PDX 277 DEG RADIAL. THE PROB WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE'S AUTOFLT SYS. ALL INPUTS TO THE ACFT WERE COMPLETED BY THE FO. I MANUALLY FLEW ACFT TO SEA WITHOUT ANY OTHER MALFUNCTIONS. WHAT I DID WAS CONTINUE STRAIGHT OUT WITHOUT TURNING R TO INTERCEPT THE PDX 277 DEG RADIAL. THAT WAS THE ONLY NON-STANDARD PROC THAT I HAD TO DO.

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.