Narrative:

We had an unusually long taxi to runway. The taxiway conditions were extremely poor; covered with compacted broken chunks of snow. I was particularly concerned about this as I have had personal experience with incurring 1ST stage fan damage by ingesting these bricks of snow; also the surface was very rough causing us to taxi to barely more than walking speed and probably taking close to a half hour from pushback to arriving at the runway end. I briefed first officer that on takeoff; I planned to hold the brakes and run up the engines to 50% N1 to allow us to carefully monitor the engines for a possible FOD damage from taxi before initiating the takeoff. As we were cleared for takeoff it was apparent that plan wouldn't work due to large chunks of fragmented compacted snow at the departure end of the runway (note: the runway was clear and dry but had considerable broken compacted snow around the perimeter). Instead we opted for a rolling takeoff with a slower than normal throttle up and pause at 50% to assure engine condition. During acceleration; all engine parameters appeared normal and I continued to advance the thrust levers through the cl detent towards flx/mct. I reported to first officer I had no FMA's or autothrust and asked him to check it. At approximately 70 KTS and accelerating first officer reported; 'power isn't right.' at that point; as both of us were momentarily unsure of our exact thrust condition; I decided to discontinue the takeoff. As I initiated the abort; I immediately realized the thrust levers hadn't been fully latched into the flx/mct detent (probably causing the autothrust and FMA's not to arm). I believe the abort was timely and well executed and we completed our immediate communications with the cabin and tower. We assessed our situation and decide it was safe to taxi clear of the active runway and examine the event more in depth and advised the cabin crew the condition didn't appear serious and no preparation of the cabin was necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW HAS A REJECTED TKOF AT DEN.

Narrative: WE HAD AN UNUSUALLY LONG TAXI TO RWY. THE TXWY CONDITIONS WERE EXTREMELY POOR; COVERED WITH COMPACTED BROKEN CHUNKS OF SNOW. I WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AS I HAVE HAD PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH INCURRING 1ST STAGE FAN DAMAGE BY INGESTING THESE BRICKS OF SNOW; ALSO THE SURFACE WAS VERY ROUGH CAUSING US TO TAXI TO BARELY MORE THAN WALKING SPD AND PROBABLY TAKING CLOSE TO A HALF HR FROM PUSHBACK TO ARRIVING AT THE RWY END. I BRIEFED FO THAT ON TKOF; I PLANNED TO HOLD THE BRAKES AND RUN UP THE ENGS TO 50% N1 TO ALLOW US TO CAREFULLY MONITOR THE ENGS FOR A POSSIBLE FOD DAMAGE FROM TAXI BEFORE INITIATING THE TKOF. AS WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF IT WAS APPARENT THAT PLAN WOULDN'T WORK DUE TO LARGE CHUNKS OF FRAGMENTED COMPACTED SNOW AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY (NOTE: THE RWY WAS CLR AND DRY BUT HAD CONSIDERABLE BROKEN COMPACTED SNOW AROUND THE PERIMETER). INSTEAD WE OPTED FOR A ROLLING TKOF WITH A SLOWER THAN NORMAL THROTTLE UP AND PAUSE AT 50% TO ASSURE ENG CONDITION. DURING ACCELERATION; ALL ENG PARAMETERS APPEARED NORMAL AND I CONTINUED TO ADVANCE THE THRUST LEVERS THROUGH THE CL DETENT TOWARDS FLX/MCT. I RPTED TO FO I HAD NO FMA'S OR AUTOTHRUST AND ASKED HIM TO CHK IT. AT APPROX 70 KTS AND ACCELERATING FO RPTED; 'PWR ISN'T RIGHT.' AT THAT POINT; AS BOTH OF US WERE MOMENTARILY UNSURE OF OUR EXACT THRUST CONDITION; I DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE THE TKOF. AS I INITIATED THE ABORT; I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THE THRUST LEVERS HADN'T BEEN FULLY LATCHED INTO THE FLX/MCT DETENT (PROBABLY CAUSING THE AUTOTHRUST AND FMA'S NOT TO ARM). I BELIEVE THE ABORT WAS TIMELY AND WELL EXECUTED AND WE COMPLETED OUR IMMEDIATE COMS WITH THE CABIN AND TWR. WE ASSESSED OUR SITUATION AND DECIDE IT WAS SAFE TO TAXI CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY AND EXAMINE THE EVENT MORE IN DEPTH AND ADVISED THE CABIN CREW THE CONDITION DIDN'T APPEAR SERIOUS AND NO PREPARATION OF THE CABIN WAS NECESSARY.

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.