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A B737-300 crew reports a flickering master caution light of unknown origin during takeoff leading to a high speed rejected takeoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 703940 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200607 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : slc.airport |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : cma.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 370 |
| ASRS Report | 703940 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 52 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 703938 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : master caution light other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : rejected takeoff |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After being cleared for takeoff (first officer was the PF) and at 80 KTS; captain (PNF) noticed a momentary flicker of the glare shield master caution light. There was no associated '6 pack' caution light on; no forward panel lights on. Captain took a quick glance of overhead panel -- no lights were illuminated. As captain's eyes came back forward; master caution light again blinked with no '6 pack' lights illuminated. Captain initiated abort approaching 100 KTS. Rejected takeoff braking engaged. Within a couple of seconds; it was clear this would be an uneventful controled stop; captain engaged brakes to release rejected takeoff braking. Aircraft coasted to an uneventful stop and exited the runway. Captain attempted to creep along on the parallel taxiway to facilitate brake cooling. First officer confirmed (with the flight manual) brake cooling time of approximately 50 mins (and not in the caution zone). Right engine was shut down to further minimize brake usage. Aircraft returned to the gate where it was chocked without setting the parking brake. Dispatch; maintenance; and the flight operations duty office were subsequently notified. Unfortunately; in the necessary moments to determine the go/no-go decision; without secondary malfunction lights; crew was unable to ascertain the seriousness of the malfunction resulting in an abort decision slightly above 80 KTS. While taxiing back; crew was able to determine the actual culprit was a flickering (momentary) equipment cooling 'off' light. Said switch was in the 'normal' position. Additional salient information: ambient temperature at slc was 38 degrees C (100 degrees F). Field elevation was 4227 ft. Said aircraft had the APU bleed vale inoperative'ed in the closed position. Aircraft weight was approximately 114000 pounds; with a nearly full passenger compartment. Performance data required a bleeds off; unpressurized takeoff. Needless to say; adequate cooling air was not available prior to takeoff. This could very well have been a contributing factor.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-300 CREW RPTS A FLICKERING MASTER CAUTION LIGHT OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN DURING TKOF LEADING TO A HIGH SPD REJECTED TKOF.
Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR TKOF (FO WAS THE PF) AND AT 80 KTS; CAPT (PNF) NOTICED A MOMENTARY FLICKER OF THE GLARE SHIELD MASTER CAUTION LIGHT. THERE WAS NO ASSOCIATED '6 PACK' CAUTION LIGHT ON; NO FORWARD PANEL LIGHTS ON. CAPT TOOK A QUICK GLANCE OF OVERHEAD PANEL -- NO LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. AS CAPT'S EYES CAME BACK FORWARD; MASTER CAUTION LIGHT AGAIN BLINKED WITH NO '6 PACK' LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CAPT INITIATED ABORT APCHING 100 KTS. REJECTED TKOF BRAKING ENGAGED. WITHIN A COUPLE OF SECONDS; IT WAS CLR THIS WOULD BE AN UNEVENTFUL CTLED STOP; CAPT ENGAGED BRAKES TO RELEASE REJECTED TKOF BRAKING. ACFT COASTED TO AN UNEVENTFUL STOP AND EXITED THE RWY. CAPT ATTEMPTED TO CREEP ALONG ON THE PARALLEL TXWY TO FACILITATE BRAKE COOLING. FO CONFIRMED (WITH THE FLT MANUAL) BRAKE COOLING TIME OF APPROX 50 MINS (AND NOT IN THE CAUTION ZONE). R ENG WAS SHUT DOWN TO FURTHER MINIMIZE BRAKE USAGE. ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE WHERE IT WAS CHOCKED WITHOUT SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE. DISPATCH; MAINT; AND THE FLT OPS DUTY OFFICE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY NOTIFIED. UNFORTUNATELY; IN THE NECESSARY MOMENTS TO DETERMINE THE GO/NO-GO DECISION; WITHOUT SECONDARY MALFUNCTION LIGHTS; CREW WAS UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE MALFUNCTION RESULTING IN AN ABORT DECISION SLIGHTLY ABOVE 80 KTS. WHILE TAXIING BACK; CREW WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL CULPRIT WAS A FLICKERING (MOMENTARY) EQUIP COOLING 'OFF' LIGHT. SAID SWITCH WAS IN THE 'NORMAL' POS. ADDITIONAL SALIENT INFO: AMBIENT TEMP AT SLC WAS 38 DEGS C (100 DEGS F). FIELD ELEVATION WAS 4227 FT. SAID ACFT HAD THE APU BLEED VALE INOP'ED IN THE CLOSED POS. ACFT WT WAS APPROX 114000 LBS; WITH A NEARLY FULL PAX COMPARTMENT. PERFORMANCE DATA REQUIRED A BLEEDS OFF; UNPRESSURIZED TKOF. NEEDLESS TO SAY; ADEQUATE COOLING AIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE PRIOR TO TKOF. THIS COULD VERY WELL HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.