A320 flight crew aborts takeoff after flight attendant reports smoke from air conditioning vents.

Attributes
ACN	558548
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	558548
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	558553
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During taxi out, passenger thought she heard abnormal noise. We were #2 for takeoff. After consultation with flight attendant, we determined that the noise was normal. We elected to continue. During takeoff roll, after 80 KT callout, flight attendant began hitting cockpit door and yelling stop, so we aborted the takeoff at approximately 120 KIAS. After clearing runway, we were told there was a lot first officer what appeared to be condensation pouring from the air conditioning system vents (it was very humid in chicago). After speaking to flight attendant that was hitting our door, we learned that the entire middle section of aircraft passenger were frightened/alarmed/scared of the white substance pouring from the vents, and they were screaming as we were going down the runway. For that reason, the flight attendant was banging on the cockpit door and yelling stop. Given today's environment, and the one report of an abnormal noise (although we had decided for ourselves along with the flight attendant that it was normal airbus noise), adequate runway remaining, we elected to abort the takeoff not knowing what situation was developing in the cabin.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC ABORTS TKOF AFTER FLT ATTENDANT RPTS SMOKE FROM AIR CONDITIONING VENTS.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT, PAX THOUGHT SHE HEARD ABNORMAL NOISE. WE WERE #2 FOR TKOF. AFTER CONSULTATION WITH FLT ATTENDANT, WE DETERMINED THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL. WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE. DURING TKOF ROLL, AFTER 80 KT CALLOUT, FLT ATTENDANT BEGAN HITTING COCKPIT DOOR AND YELLING STOP, SO WE ABORTED THE TKOF AT APPROX 120 KIAS. AFTER CLRING RWY, WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS A LOT FO WHAT APPEARED TO BE CONDENSATION POURING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS VENTS (IT WAS VERY HUMID IN CHICAGO). AFTER SPEAKING TO FLT ATTENDANT THAT WAS HITTING OUR DOOR, WE LEARNED THAT THE ENTIRE MIDDLE SECTION OF ACFT PAX WERE FRIGHTENED/ALARMED/SCARED OF THE WHITE SUBSTANCE POURING FROM THE VENTS, AND THEY WERE SCREAMING AS WE WERE GOING DOWN THE RWY. FOR THAT REASON, THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS BANGING ON THE COCKPIT DOOR AND YELLING STOP. GIVEN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, AND THE ONE RPT OF AN ABNORMAL NOISE (ALTHOUGH WE HAD DECIDED FOR OURSELVES ALONG WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT IT WAS NORMAL AIRBUS NOISE), ADEQUATE RWY REMAINING, WE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TKOF NOT KNOWING WHAT SIT WAS DEVELOPING IN THE CABIN.

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.