Narrative:

After speaking to lax ground metering, we pushed back our cargo ramp at AB03Z and started our engines. We did the after start checklist and then called lax ground control. He told us to hold short of taxiway B on taxiway C1. An air carrier jet to our right on taxiway B was told to taxi the full length of taxiway B for runway 25R. He was then cleared into position and hold on runway 25R. An air carrier Z B747 was behind the air carrier Y jet on taxiway B. As the B747 passed taxiway C1 on taxiway B, ground control called the B747 crew and told them that their company wanted them to return to the gate. The B747 crew asked ground control if they could taxi down runway 25R in order to return to their gate. ATC then instructed the air carrier Y jet to clear runway 25R at taxiway F and taxi back to runway 25R. Then the air carrier Z B747 taxied down runway 25R and cleared at a point west of taxiway F. Ground control then cleared our airplane to cross runway 25R and to hold short of runway 25L. After crossing runway 25L, I asked my first officer to check our performance numbers and altitude leveloff for engine-out for runway 25L. (We had anticipated runway 25R for takeoff.) as he was doing this, ground control told us to contact the tower. The tower controller cleared us into position and hold on runway 25L, and told us that several aircraft would be crossing downfield. After these planes had crossed and while we were on runway 25L, the tower controller changed our takeoff clearance altitude from 2000 ft to 3000 ft, told us there was an airplane on a 4 mi final for runway 25L, and cleared us for takeoff. In the confusion over aircraft being shuttled around on and off runway 25R, and our being switched to runway 25L, we forgot to complete the before takeoff checklist, and we did not set the flaps to 15 degrees. As I advanced the throttles we got the takeoff confign warning horn and light. I saw that the flaps were not set, and I brought the throttles to idle. The plane had moved less than 10 ft, and we had no airspeed indication. I immediately asked the first officer to notify tower that we were rejecting the takeoff and wished to clear the runway at the first right turnoff, which was turnoff wf. Tower cleared us to do that. I wanted to clear the runway as quickly as possible because of the airplane on final for runway 25L. That airplane did not have to go around. We told the tower we had an indicator problem which we had to resolve so he did not think we had some kind of emergency. After we cleared the runway on turnoff wf, the tower controller then cleared us to cross runway 25R and turn right onto taxiway B for takeoff on runway 25R. We set the flaps at 15 degrees, ran the before takeoff checklist, and made sure everything was set properly for takeoff. We then took off in sequence on runway 25R. I think factors that contributed to our error were the following: 1) I anticipated a short taxi, and had briefed the departure while in the blocks before engine start. We normally do not do this in our procedures, but do it after the flaps are set. My first officer is new to the airplane, and I think, in retrospect, this threw him out of his normal flow, so that he did not catch my failure to call for flaps 15 degrees before taking the runway. 2) the radio frequencys at lax at this time of day are extremely busy and congested, so that one has to devote extra attention to listening for instructions directed to your airplane. Doing this and trying to follow the ballet of airplanes entering and exiting runway 25R distraction us from our normal flow. I think it would help crews if ground control could tell us what runway to expect on our initial call to them. 3) tower waited until we were on the runway to change our altitude clearance. This took our attention away from the before takeoff checklist at a critical time. It would help if tower gave those changes while we are holding short. 4) it would also help if tower told a crew before they take the runway how far out traffic on final is, so that the crew can decide whether to accept taking the active runway at that point in their predep preparations. Supplemental information from acn 476063: first officer got task overloaded and was rushed by captain, therefore breaking normal habit patterns, ie, selecting flaps for takeoff. Always follow standard procedures and habits. Don't allow someone to rush -- captain, tower, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CARGO FLC FAILS TO COMPLETE THEIR PORTION OF THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND HAS TO ABORT THE TKOF ON RWY 25L AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: AFTER SPEAKING TO LAX GND METERING, WE PUSHED BACK OUR CARGO RAMP AT AB03Z AND STARTED OUR ENGS. WE DID THE AFTER START CHKLIST AND THEN CALLED LAX GND CTL. HE TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY B ON TXWY C1. AN ACR JET TO OUR R ON TXWY B WAS TOLD TO TAXI THE FULL LENGTH OF TXWY B FOR RWY 25R. HE WAS THEN CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 25R. AN ACR Z B747 WAS BEHIND THE ACR Y JET ON TXWY B. AS THE B747 PASSED TXWY C1 ON TXWY B, GND CTL CALLED THE B747 CREW AND TOLD THEM THAT THEIR COMPANY WANTED THEM TO RETURN TO THE GATE. THE B747 CREW ASKED GND CTL IF THEY COULD TAXI DOWN RWY 25R IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THEIR GATE. ATC THEN INSTRUCTED THE ACR Y JET TO CLR RWY 25R AT TXWY F AND TAXI BACK TO RWY 25R. THEN THE ACR Z B747 TAXIED DOWN RWY 25R AND CLRED AT A POINT W OF TXWY F. GND CTL THEN CLRED OUR AIRPLANE TO CROSS RWY 25R AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L. AFTER XING RWY 25L, I ASKED MY FO TO CHK OUR PERFORMANCE NUMBERS AND ALT LEVELOFF FOR ENG-OUT FOR RWY 25L. (WE HAD ANTICIPATED RWY 25R FOR TKOF.) AS HE WAS DOING THIS, GND CTL TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TWR. THE TWR CTLR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 25L, AND TOLD US THAT SEVERAL ACFT WOULD BE XING DOWNFIELD. AFTER THESE PLANES HAD CROSSED AND WHILE WE WERE ON RWY 25L, THE TWR CTLR CHANGED OUR TKOF CLRNC ALT FROM 2000 FT TO 3000 FT, TOLD US THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ON A 4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 25L, AND CLRED US FOR TKOF. IN THE CONFUSION OVER ACFT BEING SHUTTLED AROUND ON AND OFF RWY 25R, AND OUR BEING SWITCHED TO RWY 25L, WE FORGOT TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, AND WE DID NOT SET THE FLAPS TO 15 DEGS. AS I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES WE GOT THE TKOF CONFIGN WARNING HORN AND LIGHT. I SAW THAT THE FLAPS WERE NOT SET, AND I BROUGHT THE THROTTLES TO IDLE. THE PLANE HAD MOVED LESS THAN 10 FT, AND WE HAD NO AIRSPD INDICATION. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE FO TO NOTIFY TWR THAT WE WERE REJECTING THE TKOF AND WISHED TO CLR THE RWY AT THE FIRST R TURNOFF, WHICH WAS TURNOFF WF. TWR CLRED US TO DO THAT. I WANTED TO CLR THE RWY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL FOR RWY 25L. THAT AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE TO GO AROUND. WE TOLD THE TWR WE HAD AN INDICATOR PROB WHICH WE HAD TO RESOLVE SO HE DID NOT THINK WE HAD SOME KIND OF EMER. AFTER WE CLRED THE RWY ON TURNOFF WF, THE TWR CTLR THEN CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 25R AND TURN R ONTO TXWY B FOR TKOF ON RWY 25R. WE SET THE FLAPS AT 15 DEGS, RAN THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, AND MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS SET PROPERLY FOR TKOF. WE THEN TOOK OFF IN SEQUENCE ON RWY 25R. I THINK FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO OUR ERROR WERE THE FOLLOWING: 1) I ANTICIPATED A SHORT TAXI, AND HAD BRIEFED THE DEP WHILE IN THE BLOCKS BEFORE ENG START. WE NORMALLY DO NOT DO THIS IN OUR PROCS, BUT DO IT AFTER THE FLAPS ARE SET. MY FO IS NEW TO THE AIRPLANE, AND I THINK, IN RETROSPECT, THIS THREW HIM OUT OF HIS NORMAL FLOW, SO THAT HE DID NOT CATCH MY FAILURE TO CALL FOR FLAPS 15 DEGS BEFORE TAKING THE RWY. 2) THE RADIO FREQS AT LAX AT THIS TIME OF DAY ARE EXTREMELY BUSY AND CONGESTED, SO THAT ONE HAS TO DEVOTE EXTRA ATTN TO LISTENING FOR INSTRUCTIONS DIRECTED TO YOUR AIRPLANE. DOING THIS AND TRYING TO FOLLOW THE BALLET OF AIRPLANES ENTERING AND EXITING RWY 25R DISTR US FROM OUR NORMAL FLOW. I THINK IT WOULD HELP CREWS IF GND CTL COULD TELL US WHAT RWY TO EXPECT ON OUR INITIAL CALL TO THEM. 3) TWR WAITED UNTIL WE WERE ON THE RWY TO CHANGE OUR ALT CLRNC. THIS TOOK OUR ATTN AWAY FROM THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AT A CRITICAL TIME. IT WOULD HELP IF TWR GAVE THOSE CHANGES WHILE WE ARE HOLDING SHORT. 4) IT WOULD ALSO HELP IF TWR TOLD A CREW BEFORE THEY TAKE THE RWY HOW FAR OUT TFC ON FINAL IS, SO THAT THE CREW CAN DECIDE WHETHER TO ACCEPT TAKING THE ACTIVE RWY AT THAT POINT IN THEIR PREDEP PREPARATIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476063: FO GOT TASK OVERLOADED AND WAS RUSHED BY CAPT, THEREFORE BREAKING NORMAL HABIT PATTERNS, IE, SELECTING FLAPS FOR TKOF. ALWAYS FOLLOW STANDARD PROCS AND HABITS. DON'T ALLOW SOMEONE TO RUSH -- CAPT, TWR, ETC.

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.