Narrative:

Brakes were being fan cooled at gate prior to departure. Right side brakes were approximately 425 degrees C after landing den runway 35L with 5 KT tailwind. Planning for takeoff we elected to use flaps 2 flex power for possible windshear due to thunderstorms in denver area. We had issue with weights and had to remove 1 of 2 jumpseaters. We taxied with plan for either runways 17R or 17L. Taxied with 1 engine to keep brake temperatures low. Left gate with temperatures low 200 degrees C range. Den tower had us taxi to runway 17L so we started right engine on taxiway and finished our checks and before takeoff checklist as we approached #1 for takeoff. Cleared into position and hold den runway 17L. Winds were light and variable and radar showed departure path clear. Tower had us exit runway for spacing into destination. #3 for takeoff tower issued windshear alert 20 KT gain. We elected to use toga thrust for takeoff. Monitoring tower departures off both runways 17R and 17L were reporting no gain or loss in airspeed. Windsock to left of runway 17L continued to show light and variable headwind. We taxied into position and hold on runway 17L and I made my last visual assessment of departure path for blowing dust; virga; or anything that would indicate windshear. There was no rain and visibility was excellent. There were a couple of small cells approximately 15 mi south of the airport; but easily maneuvered around. I xferred control of the aircraft to the first officer with brakes set. Preceding departures off both runways 17R and 17L reported no airspeed gain or loss. We were cleared for takeoff heading 155 degrees with windshear alert of airspeed gain by tower. First officer released parking brake and started to bring the throttles up. I looked at the windsock to the left still showing light variable winds. We had a slight airspeed hesitation between 70 and 80 KTS and then returned to normal acceleration. Airspeed approximately 100 KTS the aircraft veered to the left rapidly. I immediately took control of the aircraft and aborted the takeoff using fairly large right rudder input to return to centerline at which point I applied reverse thrust after assessing that it was not an engine failure. I allowed the autobrakes to bring aircraft to a few KTS and then disengaged the autobrakes. We cleared the runway at P7 and requested to taxi back to the gate. First officer had the passenger remain seated. I had never experienced a swerve that severe before. Swerve was more pronounced than an engine failure. I thought it might have been a tire; but concluded it was more likely a strong wind gust out of the east. We let tower know that it might have been a windshear. Aircraft departing runway 17L after we aborted did not report any problems or airspeed gain or loss. Taxi to gate was normal on single engine and first officer notified maintenance we need brake check. Temperatures on all 4 mains reached between 800 and 850 degrees C. Ramp personnel notified us the left main tires deflated. I made a PA announcement to the passenger about what had happened. Maintenance decided to take the aircraft OTS. While at gate the tornado siren sounded for about 5 mins and the wind changed direction out of north. I chatted with passenger in the boarding area during the siren and most seemed calm and ready to continue. We were given another aircraft. I called the flight duty manager; dispatch; maintenance to give my assessment. I discussed what had happened with the first officer and we decided the safest course of action would be to take ourselves off the remainder of the trip. I'm glad I did. A couple of hours after the event; I was exhausted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 SWERVES HARD LEFT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL AT 100 KTS. CAPTAIN ASSUMES CONTROL AND REJECTS TKOF. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE BOTH LEFT MAIN TIRES DEFLATE DUE TO OVER TEMPERATURE.

Narrative: BRAKES WERE BEING FAN COOLED AT GATE PRIOR TO DEP. R SIDE BRAKES WERE APPROX 425 DEGS C AFTER LNDG DEN RWY 35L WITH 5 KT TAILWIND. PLANNING FOR TKOF WE ELECTED TO USE FLAPS 2 FLEX PWR FOR POSSIBLE WINDSHEAR DUE TO TSTMS IN DENVER AREA. WE HAD ISSUE WITH WTS AND HAD TO REMOVE 1 OF 2 JUMPSEATERS. WE TAXIED WITH PLAN FOR EITHER RWYS 17R OR 17L. TAXIED WITH 1 ENG TO KEEP BRAKE TEMPS LOW. LEFT GATE WITH TEMPS LOW 200 DEGS C RANGE. DEN TWR HAD US TAXI TO RWY 17L SO WE STARTED R ENG ON TXWY AND FINISHED OUR CHKS AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AS WE APCHED #1 FOR TKOF. CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD DEN RWY 17L. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AND RADAR SHOWED DEP PATH CLR. TWR HAD US EXIT RWY FOR SPACING INTO DEST. #3 FOR TKOF TWR ISSUED WINDSHEAR ALERT 20 KT GAIN. WE ELECTED TO USE TOGA THRUST FOR TKOF. MONITORING TWR DEPS OFF BOTH RWYS 17R AND 17L WERE RPTING NO GAIN OR LOSS IN AIRSPD. WINDSOCK TO L OF RWY 17L CONTINUED TO SHOW LIGHT AND VARIABLE HEADWIND. WE TAXIED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 17L AND I MADE MY LAST VISUAL ASSESSMENT OF DEP PATH FOR BLOWING DUST; VIRGA; OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE WINDSHEAR. THERE WAS NO RAIN AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF SMALL CELLS APPROX 15 MI S OF THE ARPT; BUT EASILY MANEUVERED AROUND. I XFERRED CTL OF THE ACFT TO THE FO WITH BRAKES SET. PRECEDING DEPS OFF BOTH RWYS 17R AND 17L RPTED NO AIRSPD GAIN OR LOSS. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF HDG 155 DEGS WITH WINDSHEAR ALERT OF AIRSPD GAIN BY TWR. FO RELEASED PARKING BRAKE AND STARTED TO BRING THE THROTTLES UP. I LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK TO THE L STILL SHOWING LIGHT VARIABLE WINDS. WE HAD A SLIGHT AIRSPD HESITATION BTWN 70 AND 80 KTS AND THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL ACCELERATION. AIRSPD APPROX 100 KTS THE ACFT VEERED TO THE L RAPIDLY. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND ABORTED THE TKOF USING FAIRLY LARGE R RUDDER INPUT TO RETURN TO CTRLINE AT WHICH POINT I APPLIED REVERSE THRUST AFTER ASSESSING THAT IT WAS NOT AN ENG FAILURE. I ALLOWED THE AUTOBRAKES TO BRING ACFT TO A FEW KTS AND THEN DISENGAGED THE AUTOBRAKES. WE CLRED THE RWY AT P7 AND REQUESTED TO TAXI BACK TO THE GATE. FO HAD THE PAX REMAIN SEATED. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED A SWERVE THAT SEVERE BEFORE. SWERVE WAS MORE PRONOUNCED THAN AN ENG FAILURE. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TIRE; BUT CONCLUDED IT WAS MORE LIKELY A STRONG WIND GUST OUT OF THE E. WE LET TWR KNOW THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A WINDSHEAR. ACFT DEPARTING RWY 17L AFTER WE ABORTED DID NOT RPT ANY PROBS OR AIRSPD GAIN OR LOSS. TAXI TO GATE WAS NORMAL ON SINGLE ENG AND FO NOTIFIED MAINT WE NEED BRAKE CHK. TEMPS ON ALL 4 MAINS REACHED BTWN 800 AND 850 DEGS C. RAMP PERSONNEL NOTIFIED US THE L MAIN TIRES DEFLATED. I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. MAINT DECIDED TO TAKE THE ACFT OTS. WHILE AT GATE THE TORNADO SIREN SOUNDED FOR ABOUT 5 MINS AND THE WIND CHANGED DIRECTION OUT OF N. I CHATTED WITH PAX IN THE BOARDING AREA DURING THE SIREN AND MOST SEEMED CALM AND READY TO CONTINUE. WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER ACFT. I CALLED THE FLT DUTY MGR; DISPATCH; MAINT TO GIVE MY ASSESSMENT. I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE FO AND WE DECIDED THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO TAKE OURSELVES OFF THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. I'M GLAD I DID. A COUPLE OF HRS AFTER THE EVENT; I WAS EXHAUSTED.

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.