Narrative:

Originating flight XXX tampa to west palm beach was delayed for maintenance (fuel pump) on overnight. Running 1 hour behind, passenger a little upset, we were hustling to try and get our passenger to our newest destination with minimal delay. Pushback/start/taxi out normal. While performing pretkof checks, noted leading edge flap indicator inoperative on forward and overhead panel. Slowed our taxi, but continued towards runway. Captain visually confirmed leading edge device extended on his side, and asked if I could see mine -- they were extended. We continued taxi. I said 'we need to look at this closer,' turned around, checked all circuit breakers in. Found/cycled leading edge flap indicator circuit breaker -- did not fix problem. Captain was 'comfortable' with visual check and wanted to continue. He asked if I was comfortable that the devices were extended, I replied 'yes because I can see them,' but was a bit uneasy about continuing. We continued taxi. I suggested to the captain (prior to clearance on runway) it would most likely actuate the takeoff warning horn. He replied 'that won't affect the horn' and 'I feel comfortable that I can fix this problem.' tower cleared us into position/hold (notice -- we never stopped rolling until on runway) cleared for takeoff. Captain started to push up throttles -- as suspected, the takeoff warning horn sounded. We stopped, told tower we needed to taxi clear and look at a problem. We troubleshot some more, but decided to return to gate. The leading edge devices were in fact extended, but a box in the east&east compartment was not snowing any power. Box replaced, flight continued on late, uneventful. In this day and age with increasing customer dissatisfaction with delays/service, etc, I feel that there is a sense of urgency to complete the mission. We were already running late, didn't want it to get worse. Looking back, I wish we would have just stopped, set parking brake, and really looked at the situation closer. I mentioned the takeoff warning horn, if we wre stopped, the captain most likely would have tested it, and this would never have become an issue. I also feel I should have been more emphatic with my suggestion. Just because you are late, pressed to continue, it should not change the way decisions are made. I believe that our training department does put out, stop and look at problem, but I think it should strongly be re-emphasized in ground school. Supplemental information from acn 507430: there is a tradition here, at least in my formative yrs, that 'carrying items' to keep the airline on time is ok, and to be honest, I do not have a problem with that as long as safety is not compromised, and I believe our record speaks for itself. If, in fact, the company would like to change the mind set, I would suggest repeated emphasis via ground school, chief pilot's newsletters, and flight operations manual verbiage to accentuate the seriousness. Since we are being totally honest here, if that policy is strictly adhered to, in my opinion, multiple delays will ensue and our on-time performance will suffer greatly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B733 CREW EXPERIENCED THE TKOF WARNING HORN AS THROTTLES WERE ADVANCED FOR TKOF.

Narrative: ORIGINATING FLT XXX TAMPA TO WEST PALM BEACH WAS DELAYED FOR MAINT (FUEL PUMP) ON OVERNIGHT. RUNNING 1 HR BEHIND, PAX A LITTLE UPSET, WE WERE HUSTLING TO TRY AND GET OUR PAX TO OUR NEWEST DEST WITH MINIMAL DELAY. PUSHBACK/START/TAXI OUT NORMAL. WHILE PERFORMING PRETKOF CHKS, NOTED LEADING EDGE FLAP INDICATOR INOP ON FORWARD AND OVERHEAD PANEL. SLOWED OUR TAXI, BUT CONTINUED TOWARDS RWY. CAPT VISUALLY CONFIRMED LEADING EDGE DEVICE EXTENDED ON HIS SIDE, AND ASKED IF I COULD SEE MINE -- THEY WERE EXTENDED. WE CONTINUED TAXI. I SAID 'WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS CLOSER,' TURNED AROUND, CHKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS IN. FOUND/CYCLED LEADING EDGE FLAP INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER -- DID NOT FIX PROB. CAPT WAS 'COMFORTABLE' WITH VISUAL CHK AND WANTED TO CONTINUE. HE ASKED IF I WAS COMFORTABLE THAT THE DEVICES WERE EXTENDED, I REPLIED 'YES BECAUSE I CAN SEE THEM,' BUT WAS A BIT UNEASY ABOUT CONTINUING. WE CONTINUED TAXI. I SUGGESTED TO THE CAPT (PRIOR TO CLRNC ON RWY) IT WOULD MOST LIKELY ACTUATE THE TKOF WARNING HORN. HE REPLIED 'THAT WON'T AFFECT THE HORN' AND 'I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT I CAN FIX THIS PROB.' TWR CLRED US INTO POS/HOLD (NOTICE -- WE NEVER STOPPED ROLLING UNTIL ON RWY) CLRED FOR TKOF. CAPT STARTED TO PUSH UP THROTTLES -- AS SUSPECTED, THE TKOF WARNING HORN SOUNDED. WE STOPPED, TOLD TWR WE NEEDED TO TAXI CLR AND LOOK AT A PROB. WE TROUBLESHOT SOME MORE, BUT DECIDED TO RETURN TO GATE. THE LEADING EDGE DEVICES WERE IN FACT EXTENDED, BUT A BOX IN THE E&E COMPARTMENT WAS NOT SNOWING ANY PWR. BOX REPLACED, FLT CONTINUED ON LATE, UNEVENTFUL. IN THIS DAY AND AGE WITH INCREASING CUSTOMER DISSATISFACTION WITH DELAYS/SVC, ETC, I FEEL THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY TO COMPLETE THE MISSION. WE WERE ALREADY RUNNING LATE, DIDN'T WANT IT TO GET WORSE. LOOKING BACK, I WISH WE WOULD HAVE JUST STOPPED, SET PARKING BRAKE, AND REALLY LOOKED AT THE SIT CLOSER. I MENTIONED THE TKOF WARNING HORN, IF WE WRE STOPPED, THE CAPT MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE TESTED IT, AND THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE BECOME AN ISSUE. I ALSO FEEL I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EMPHATIC WITH MY SUGGESTION. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE LATE, PRESSED TO CONTINUE, IT SHOULD NOT CHANGE THE WAY DECISIONS ARE MADE. I BELIEVE THAT OUR TRAINING DEPT DOES PUT OUT, STOP AND LOOK AT PROB, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD STRONGLY BE RE-EMPHASIZED IN GND SCHOOL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 507430: THERE IS A TRADITION HERE, AT LEAST IN MY FORMATIVE YRS, THAT 'CARRYING ITEMS' TO KEEP THE AIRLINE ON TIME IS OK, AND TO BE HONEST, I DO NOT HAVE A PROB WITH THAT AS LONG AS SAFETY IS NOT COMPROMISED, AND I BELIEVE OUR RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. IF, IN FACT, THE COMPANY WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE MIND SET, I WOULD SUGGEST REPEATED EMPHASIS VIA GND SCHOOL, CHIEF PLT'S NEWSLETTERS, AND FLT OPS MANUAL VERBIAGE TO ACCENTUATE THE SERIOUSNESS. SINCE WE ARE BEING TOTALLY HONEST HERE, IF THAT POLICY IS STRICTLY ADHERED TO, IN MY OPINION, MULTIPLE DELAYS WILL ENSUE AND OUR ON-TIME PERFORMANCE WILL SUFFER GREATLY.

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.