Narrative:

Received call from ord zone controller asking if I could get a hold of air carrier X ord-ewr and not have him depart since ord ramp had loaded a live animal in the wrong bin. As the flight was taxiing at this time for approximately 10 mins; I elected to call ord FAA ATC tower and asked them if they still were working air carrier X and if they weren't on the takeoff roll to not have them depart and have them call company as soon as possible. Ord FAA control tower said they would get them and that mrs X from ord ramp tower had called them as well. Shortly thereafter; I got a radio call from air carrier X stating that they had rejected the takeoff at 75 KTS when the captain noticed the ACARS message light illuminated and when he hit the ACARS it was from load planning saying the weights were now invalid so based on this cryptic information at a critical time the crew elected to reject the takeoff. Flight returned to the gate to load the animal in the proper pit. While at the gate the captain and myself discussed the fuel on board situation and if we were ok to go with the present fuel on board instead of refueling. Based on the fuel on board; captain and dispatcher concurred. Shortly thereafter; crew informed me that the fueler had hooked up to the aircraft and was loading additional fuel even though both crew and dispatch concurred we did not need the fuel. Concern here is why did load planning send the invalid weights message when the weights were correct. The reason dispatch didn't ACARS the flight was to avoid this exact situation and had the flight departed prior to getting notification we had alternate safer plans such as returning to ord or continuing and landing short of ewr in either grr or dtw. Supplemental information from acn 713443: during start of takeoff roll; with first officer flying; I noticed and read an ACARS message stating 'invalid weights due to cargo load change the station has revised their final load plan. Your current sts are now invalid. Please confirm receipt of this message.' since we were still under 80 KTS; I elected to reject the takeoff; informed tower and left the active runway on the first turnoff. Contacted dispatch via radio; found out that the cargo error involved an animal loaded in the incorrect cargo pit. Developed plan with dispatch to return to gate and decide if more fuel would be required. Taxied to gate and parked with APU running. Noticed shortly after that fueling was taking place; even though plan with dispatch was not to fuel. Luckily; a csr; unasked by us; had positioned a loading bridge on the aircraft. As soon as I noticed fueling was occurring; I had a flight attendant open the main cabin door; and ran down to ramp to halt fueling. New flight plan developed with dispatch; and after animal was moved to correct pit; flight departed without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW REJECTS TKOF AT ORD DUE TO ACARS MESSAGE FROM LOAD PLANNING STATING 'WTS INVALID.'

Narrative: RECEIVED CALL FROM ORD ZONE CTLR ASKING IF I COULD GET A HOLD OF ACR X ORD-EWR AND NOT HAVE HIM DEPART SINCE ORD RAMP HAD LOADED A LIVE ANIMAL IN THE WRONG BIN. AS THE FLT WAS TAXIING AT THIS TIME FOR APPROX 10 MINS; I ELECTED TO CALL ORD FAA ATC TWR AND ASKED THEM IF THEY STILL WERE WORKING ACR X AND IF THEY WEREN'T ON THE TKOF ROLL TO NOT HAVE THEM DEPART AND HAVE THEM CALL COMPANY ASAP. ORD FAA CTL TWR SAID THEY WOULD GET THEM AND THAT MRS X FROM ORD RAMP TWR HAD CALLED THEM AS WELL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I GOT A RADIO CALL FROM ACR X STATING THAT THEY HAD REJECTED THE TKOF AT 75 KTS WHEN THE CAPT NOTICED THE ACARS MESSAGE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WHEN HE HIT THE ACARS IT WAS FROM LOAD PLANNING SAYING THE WTS WERE NOW INVALID SO BASED ON THIS CRYPTIC INFO AT A CRITICAL TIME THE CREW ELECTED TO REJECT THE TKOF. FLT RETURNED TO THE GATE TO LOAD THE ANIMAL IN THE PROPER PIT. WHILE AT THE GATE THE CAPT AND MYSELF DISCUSSED THE FUEL ON BOARD SITUATION AND IF WE WERE OK TO GO WITH THE PRESENT FUEL ON BOARD INSTEAD OF REFUELING. BASED ON THE FUEL ON BOARD; CAPT AND DISPATCHER CONCURRED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; CREW INFORMED ME THAT THE FUELER HAD HOOKED UP TO THE ACFT AND WAS LOADING ADDITIONAL FUEL EVEN THOUGH BOTH CREW AND DISPATCH CONCURRED WE DID NOT NEED THE FUEL. CONCERN HERE IS WHY DID LOAD PLANNING SEND THE INVALID WTS MESSAGE WHEN THE WTS WERE CORRECT. THE REASON DISPATCH DIDN'T ACARS THE FLT WAS TO AVOID THIS EXACT SITUATION AND HAD THE FLT DEPARTED PRIOR TO GETTING NOTIFICATION WE HAD ALTERNATE SAFER PLANS SUCH AS RETURNING TO ORD OR CONTINUING AND LNDG SHORT OF EWR IN EITHER GRR OR DTW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 713443: DURING START OF TKOF ROLL; WITH FO FLYING; I NOTICED AND READ AN ACARS MESSAGE STATING 'INVALID WTS DUE TO CARGO LOAD CHANGE THE STATION HAS REVISED THEIR FINAL LOAD PLAN. YOUR CURRENT STS ARE NOW INVALID. PLEASE CONFIRM RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE.' SINCE WE WERE STILL UNDER 80 KTS; I ELECTED TO REJECT THE TKOF; INFORMED TWR AND LEFT THE ACTIVE RWY ON THE FIRST TURNOFF. CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA RADIO; FOUND OUT THAT THE CARGO ERROR INVOLVED AN ANIMAL LOADED IN THE INCORRECT CARGO PIT. DEVELOPED PLAN WITH DISPATCH TO RETURN TO GATE AND DECIDE IF MORE FUEL WOULD BE REQUIRED. TAXIED TO GATE AND PARKED WITH APU RUNNING. NOTICED SHORTLY AFTER THAT FUELING WAS TAKING PLACE; EVEN THOUGH PLAN WITH DISPATCH WAS NOT TO FUEL. LUCKILY; A CSR; UNASKED BY US; HAD POSITIONED A LOADING BRIDGE ON THE ACFT. AS SOON AS I NOTICED FUELING WAS OCCURRING; I HAD A FLT ATTENDANT OPEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR; AND RAN DOWN TO RAMP TO HALT FUELING. NEW FLT PLAN DEVELOPED WITH DISPATCH; AND AFTER ANIMAL WAS MOVED TO CORRECT PIT; FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.