Narrative:

This letter is in response to ferry flight from dfw to msp on jul/fri/00. We taxied out all 3 engines running, performing our checklists. No power was needed for taxi since we were light. It was my leg to fly. When we were cleared for takeoff, I stood the throttles up and asked for a reduced EPR takeoff power setting. When the engines started to accelerate, the aircraft started to move to the left. I counteracted this by returning to the centerline with nosewheel steering and assisted with rudder control. At the same time, I looked down at the engine gauges to see what was going on because it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the centerline. Engine #1 was not coming out of idle. I immediately brought the thrust levers back to idle, told the first officer to tell the control tower we were canceling our takeoff and would turn off on the next taxiway to check something out. The tower said that would be fine and we could just park there until we were ready to proceed. While taxiing clear, someone (either the tower or another aircraft) mentioned that our nosewheel tire started to smoke during our takeoff roll. We concluded that this was simply caused by trying to maintain the aircraft on centerline until we were again at taxi speed and not cause for concern. This was confirmed by normal operation of the nosewheel. We taxied clear of the runway and ran through the appropriate checklists, including the low idle (sub idle) N2 RPM checklist to its completion, which is standard for this type of condition for the B727RE aircraft. Once completed, the engine operated normally. We asked the tower to taxi to the end of the runway for departure. After we completed checklists, determined that everything was operating normally, and everyone was ready to proceed, we departed for msp. We were not at a high rate of speed and concluded that no mechanical problems existed with the aircraft. I believe a few days later, I was called by my chief pilot that an inquiry had been made by the FAA as to why we aborted our takeoff and was not reported to the company. I explained what had happened and was unaware that this type of reason for canceling a takeoff also had to be reported until I was informed by my chief pilot. The following week, I reviewed a message on my answering machine from my chief pilot made the previous day (I was out of town) that the FAA wanted further information detailing the course of events what happened including the report of a smoking tire. To reiterate, the whole crew concluded that no mechanical problems existed with the aircraft and proceeded safely. In the future, it should be known that all takeoffs that are canceled regardless of the reasons for, be reported to all parties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 FLC ABORTS THEIR TKOF WHEN #1 ENG FAILS TO COME OUT OF IDLE. TWR RPTS ABORT TO FAA AND COMPANY INVESTIGATION PROCEEDS ON ABORT AT DFW, TX.

Narrative: THIS LETTER IS IN RESPONSE TO FERRY FLT FROM DFW TO MSP ON JUL/FRI/00. WE TAXIED OUT ALL 3 ENGS RUNNING, PERFORMING OUR CHKLISTS. NO PWR WAS NEEDED FOR TAXI SINCE WE WERE LIGHT. IT WAS MY LEG TO FLY. WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, I STOOD THE THROTTLES UP AND ASKED FOR A REDUCED EPR TKOF PWR SETTING. WHEN THE ENGS STARTED TO ACCELERATE, THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE TO THE L. I COUNTERACTED THIS BY RETURNING TO THE CTRLINE WITH NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND ASSISTED WITH RUDDER CTL. AT THE SAME TIME, I LOOKED DOWN AT THE ENG GAUGES TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE IT WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE CTRLINE. ENG #1 WAS NOT COMING OUT OF IDLE. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE THRUST LEVERS BACK TO IDLE, TOLD THE FO TO TELL THE CTL TWR WE WERE CANCELING OUR TKOF AND WOULD TURN OFF ON THE NEXT TXWY TO CHK SOMETHING OUT. THE TWR SAID THAT WOULD BE FINE AND WE COULD JUST PARK THERE UNTIL WE WERE READY TO PROCEED. WHILE TAXIING CLR, SOMEONE (EITHER THE TWR OR ANOTHER ACFT) MENTIONED THAT OUR NOSEWHEEL TIRE STARTED TO SMOKE DURING OUR TKOF ROLL. WE CONCLUDED THAT THIS WAS SIMPLY CAUSED BY TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE ACFT ON CTRLINE UNTIL WE WERE AGAIN AT TAXI SPD AND NOT CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY NORMAL OP OF THE NOSEWHEEL. WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND RAN THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS, INCLUDING THE LOW IDLE (SUB IDLE) N2 RPM CHKLIST TO ITS COMPLETION, WHICH IS STANDARD FOR THIS TYPE OF CONDITION FOR THE B727RE ACFT. ONCE COMPLETED, THE ENG OPERATED NORMALLY. WE ASKED THE TWR TO TAXI TO THE END OF THE RWY FOR DEP. AFTER WE COMPLETED CHKLISTS, DETERMINED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OPERATING NORMALLY, AND EVERYONE WAS READY TO PROCEED, WE DEPARTED FOR MSP. WE WERE NOT AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD AND CONCLUDED THAT NO MECHANICAL PROBS EXISTED WITH THE ACFT. I BELIEVE A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS CALLED BY MY CHIEF PLT THAT AN INQUIRY HAD BEEN MADE BY THE FAA AS TO WHY WE ABORTED OUR TKOF AND WAS NOT RPTED TO THE COMPANY. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WAS UNAWARE THAT THIS TYPE OF REASON FOR CANCELING A TKOF ALSO HAD TO BE RPTED UNTIL I WAS INFORMED BY MY CHIEF PLT. THE FOLLOWING WK, I REVIEWED A MESSAGE ON MY ANSWERING MACHINE FROM MY CHIEF PLT MADE THE PREVIOUS DAY (I WAS OUT OF TOWN) THAT THE FAA WANTED FURTHER INFO DETAILING THE COURSE OF EVENTS WHAT HAPPENED INCLUDING THE RPT OF A SMOKING TIRE. TO REITERATE, THE WHOLE CREW CONCLUDED THAT NO MECHANICAL PROBS EXISTED WITH THE ACFT AND PROCEEDED SAFELY. IN THE FUTURE, IT SHOULD BE KNOWN THAT ALL TKOFS THAT ARE CANCELED REGARDLESS OF THE REASONS FOR, BE RPTED TO ALL PARTIES.

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.