Narrative:

Lga tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 13 with line up checklist complete. The first officer advanced the thrust levers toward takeoff N1 setting. With movement of the aircraft and before the 'set thrust' call we received a single chime 'nosewheel steering' inoperative caution message; followed by a triple chime takeoff confign 'splrs' warning message. The abort was handled and the aircraft was taken back to the gate for maintenance. Flight control was advised of the situation and called in contract maintenance to work on the discrepancies. Maintenance; uncertain with some of the system tests; called cvg flight control for more details. Overhearing one of the calls; I queried maintenance on the conversation and he explained that he was getting little cooperation with our flight control and they said it was no big deal that the nosewheel steering failed because it is a sensitive system and it happens all the time with this aircraft. Maintenance told air carrier 'don't you think the crew should know this if this is a problem or not.' I had the feeling at this time that maintenance was trying to do the right thing and flight control was trying to wing it. I placed a call to the chief pilot; in hopes of getting the program manager involved. He explained that he didn't feel comfortable giving me the program manager's phone number because it was the weekend and he would have to call him first. After some time; he called me back and said that program manager and him are in agreement after talking with cvg flight control (as if I understood what he was talking about) but if I need to talk to him he would give me his phone number. I was still confused of the progress and satisfaction of an airworthy aircraft. Maintenance approached me to tell me that they figured out the system test and the nosewheel steer failed the test. I then queried the spoiler problem and they said that they were still working on that and that someone from maintenance control would like to talk with me. This guy in maintenance control asked me several times if I would ferry the aircraft with nosewheel steering inoperative and I stated no every time. I informed him that he still didn't work on the spoiler problem. His response was; 'well captain; I'm not going to work on the spoiler issue unless you are going to ferry the aircraft;' as if we were negotiating. I continued to refuse the aircraft and he asked me how much time I had left on duty so he could assign me taxi checks and then continued to try and persuade me to ferry the aircraft. I continued to refuse the ferry and 5 hours after the incident we were released to rest. As we were leaving the maintenance personnel said; 'this happens all the time and I don't know why they just don't send the parts and fix the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLT CREW HAD NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILURE AND SPLR WARNING; REJECTS TKOF AT LGA.

Narrative: LGA TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 13 WITH LINE UP CHKLIST COMPLETE. THE FO ADVANCED THE THRUST LEVERS TOWARD TKOF N1 SETTING. WITH MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT AND BEFORE THE 'SET THRUST' CALL WE RECEIVED A SINGLE CHIME 'NOSEWHEEL STEERING' INOP CAUTION MESSAGE; FOLLOWED BY A TRIPLE CHIME TKOF CONFIGN 'SPLRS' WARNING MESSAGE. THE ABORT WAS HANDLED AND THE ACFT WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE GATE FOR MAINT. FLT CTL WAS ADVISED OF THE SITUATION AND CALLED IN CONTRACT MAINT TO WORK ON THE DISCREPANCIES. MAINT; UNCERTAIN WITH SOME OF THE SYS TESTS; CALLED CVG FLT CTL FOR MORE DETAILS. OVERHEARING ONE OF THE CALLS; I QUERIED MAINT ON THE CONVERSATION AND HE EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS GETTING LITTLE COOPERATION WITH OUR FLT CTL AND THEY SAID IT WAS NO BIG DEAL THAT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILED BECAUSE IT IS A SENSITIVE SYS AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH THIS ACFT. MAINT TOLD ACR 'DON'T YOU THINK THE CREW SHOULD KNOW THIS IF THIS IS A PROB OR NOT.' I HAD THE FEELING AT THIS TIME THAT MAINT WAS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND FLT CTL WAS TRYING TO WING IT. I PLACED A CALL TO THE CHIEF PLT; IN HOPES OF GETTING THE PROGRAM MGR INVOLVED. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE GIVING ME THE PROGRAM MGR'S PHONE NUMBER BECAUSE IT WAS THE WEEKEND AND HE WOULD HAVE TO CALL HIM FIRST. AFTER SOME TIME; HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THAT PROGRAM MGR AND HIM ARE IN AGREEMENT AFTER TALKING WITH CVG FLT CTL (AS IF I UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT) BUT IF I NEED TO TALK TO HIM HE WOULD GIVE ME HIS PHONE NUMBER. I WAS STILL CONFUSED OF THE PROGRESS AND SATISFACTION OF AN AIRWORTHY ACFT. MAINT APCHED ME TO TELL ME THAT THEY FIGURED OUT THE SYS TEST AND THE NOSEWHEEL STEER FAILED THE TEST. I THEN QUERIED THE SPOILER PROB AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE STILL WORKING ON THAT AND THAT SOMEONE FROM MAINT CTL WOULD LIKE TO TALK WITH ME. THIS GUY IN MAINT CTL ASKED ME SEVERAL TIMES IF I WOULD FERRY THE ACFT WITH NOSEWHEEL STEERING INOP AND I STATED NO EVERY TIME. I INFORMED HIM THAT HE STILL DIDN'T WORK ON THE SPOILER PROB. HIS RESPONSE WAS; 'WELL CAPT; I'M NOT GOING TO WORK ON THE SPOILER ISSUE UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO FERRY THE ACFT;' AS IF WE WERE NEGOTIATING. I CONTINUED TO REFUSE THE ACFT AND HE ASKED ME HOW MUCH TIME I HAD LEFT ON DUTY SO HE COULD ASSIGN ME TAXI CHKS AND THEN CONTINUED TO TRY AND PERSUADE ME TO FERRY THE ACFT. I CONTINUED TO REFUSE THE FERRY AND 5 HRS AFTER THE INCIDENT WE WERE RELEASED TO REST. AS WE WERE LEAVING THE MAINT PERSONNEL SAID; 'THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY JUST DON'T SEND THE PARTS AND FIX THE PROB.

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.