Narrative:

I was the captain of the A320. At XA32Z we were at the western portion of the principal taxiway as #1 waiting to takeoff on runway 09. To the west through south we saw a thick tropical rain storm (without any lightning) whose eastern front edge was approximately 2 miles west of the departure end of runway 09. This east moving storm had tops up to about 8000 ft. Its rain drops were the very thick type one finds in the caribbean in the summer. The volume of rain falling out of this cell was so dense that I imagined that a person standing closer to it could probably only see about 50 yards into the mass of water and then all else would be obscured. Moments earlier as we were taxiing west; we viewed the storm with the radar. Its northwest portion over lay the approach path to runway 09 and its 5-7 miles axis ran northwest to southeast. Its depth; from northeast to southwest; was probably about 2-3 miles for the red and yellow display colorations. The cell was well contained with definitive borders; not moving that fast; and there was not any gust front of winds to its eastern side that we could perceive. At approximately XA30Z a B757 had approached for runway 09 and we saw it land as we taxied. I don't remember any other planes landing after the B757. At XA41Z the tower controller cleared us for takeoff over frequency 118.80. I did not see any aircraft inbound between our position and the front edge of the rain nor had I heard of any traffic on the frequency. We did our flows and checklists as we rolled across the hold short line; I made the 90 degree right turn for the runway and then gave the airplane over to the first officer. He applied takeoff power at XA42Z; the engines spooled up; and we began to roll. After covering about 100 to 300 ft of pavement and before the pfd speed tape even indicated 40 KTS; the tower controller in very anxious voice told us to abort; abort; abort the takeoff. I brought the plane to an easy stop by the 500 foot marker. I gave the passenger a brief PA saying that the plane was safe and to remain seated. I could not see any aircraft; vehicles; or animals in front of me on the runway. There was a twin recip that had been waiting to takeoff from E1 and he was still behind the hold short line. (I think he would serve as an excellent witness to this event.) I did not have any indications of engine trouble. As I was looking forward; my upper peripheral vision then noticed the underbelly of an ATR 70 executing a missed approach as it flew east directly over us at what I am guessing was 1000-1200 ft. It would seem that this aircraft had been inbound on the runway 09 approach and the tower controller did not see it due to the thick rain; and/or I guess they may not have been told about it via a hand off from the approach controller; or was told but somehow forgot. Pulling ATC tapes and interviewing that ATR flight crew will provide good matching testimony as to the sequence of events. The tower controller had us perform a 180 degree turn for our next takeoff. We checked our perf numbers; ran checklists and then took off normally at XA47Z. The only applicable human performance considerations that I can think of were an apparent breakdown of approach control advising mdpc tower of inbound traffic; and it would seem that the ATR crew may not have checked on the proper radio frequency with the tower controller. This is just conjecture on my part.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ABORTS TKOF ON RWY 9 AT MDPC AT TOWER'S REQUEST AS ATR72 PASSES OVERHEAD ON A GAR.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF THE A320. AT XA32Z WE WERE AT THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE PRINCIPAL TXWY AS #1 WAITING TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 09. TO THE W THROUGH S WE SAW A THICK TROPICAL RAIN STORM (WITHOUT ANY LIGHTNING) WHOSE EASTERN FRONT EDGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES W OF THE DEP END OF RWY 09. THIS E MOVING STORM HAD TOPS UP TO ABOUT 8000 FT. ITS RAIN DROPS WERE THE VERY THICK TYPE ONE FINDS IN THE CARIBBEAN IN THE SUMMER. THE VOLUME OF RAIN FALLING OUT OF THIS CELL WAS SO DENSE THAT I IMAGINED THAT A PERSON STANDING CLOSER TO IT COULD PROBABLY ONLY SEE ABOUT 50 YARDS INTO THE MASS OF WATER AND THEN ALL ELSE WOULD BE OBSCURED. MOMENTS EARLIER AS WE WERE TAXIING W; WE VIEWED THE STORM WITH THE RADAR. ITS NW PORTION OVER LAY THE APCH PATH TO RWY 09 AND ITS 5-7 MILES AXIS RAN NW TO SE. ITS DEPTH; FROM NE TO SW; WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 2-3 MILES FOR THE RED AND YELLOW DISPLAY COLORATIONS. THE CELL WAS WELL CONTAINED WITH DEFINITIVE BORDERS; NOT MOVING THAT FAST; AND THERE WAS NOT ANY GUST FRONT OF WINDS TO ITS EASTERN SIDE THAT WE COULD PERCEIVE. AT APPROXIMATELY XA30Z A B757 HAD APCHED FOR RWY 09 AND WE SAW IT LAND AS WE TAXIED. I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OTHER PLANES LNDG AFTER THE B757. AT XA41Z THE TOWER CTLR CLRED US FOR TAKEOFF OVER FREQ 118.80. I DID NOT SEE ANY ACFT INBOUND BETWEEN OUR POSITION AND THE FRONT EDGE OF THE RAIN NOR HAD I HEARD OF ANY TFC ON THE FREQ. WE DID OUR FLOWS AND CHKLISTS AS WE ROLLED ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE; I MADE THE 90 DEG R TURN FOR THE RWY AND THEN GAVE THE AIRPLANE OVER TO THE FO. HE APPLIED TAKEOFF POWER AT XA42Z; THE ENGINES SPOOLED UP; AND WE BEGAN TO ROLL. AFTER COVERING ABOUT 100 TO 300 FT OF PAVEMENT AND BEFORE THE PFD SPEED TAPE EVEN INDICATED 40 KTS; THE TOWER CTLR IN VERY ANXIOUS VOICE TOLD US TO ABORT; ABORT; ABORT THE TAKEOFF. I BROUGHT THE PLANE TO AN EASY STOP BY THE 500 FOOT MARKER. I GAVE THE PAX A BRIEF PA SAYING THAT THE PLANE WAS SAFE AND TO REMAIN SEATED. I COULD NOT SEE ANY ACFT; VEHICLES; OR ANIMALS IN FRONT OF ME ON THE RWY. THERE WAS A TWIN RECIP THAT HAD BEEN WAITING TO TAKEOFF FROM E1 AND HE WAS STILL BEHIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE. (I THINK HE WOULD SERVE AS AN EXCELLENT WITNESS TO THIS EVENT.) I DID NOT HAVE ANY INDICATIONS OF ENGINE TROUBLE. AS I WAS LOOKING FORWARD; MY UPPER PERIPHERAL VISION THEN NOTICED THE UNDERBELLY OF AN ATR 70 EXECUTING A MISSED APCH AS IT FLEW EAST DIRECTLY OVER US AT WHAT I AM GUESSING WAS 1000-1200 FT. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THIS ACFT HAD BEEN INBOUND ON THE RWY 09 APCH AND THE TOWER CTLR DID NOT SEE IT DUE TO THE THICK RAIN; AND/OR I GUESS THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT IT VIA A HAND OFF FROM THE APCH CTLR; OR WAS TOLD BUT SOMEHOW FORGOT. PULLING ATC TAPES AND INTERVIEWING THAT ATR FLT CREW WILL PROVIDE GOOD MATCHING TESTIMONY AS TO THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. THE TOWER CTLR HAD US PERFORM A 180 DEG TURN FOR OUR NEXT TAKEOFF. WE CHKED OUR PERF NUMBERS; RAN CHKLISTS AND THEN TOOK OFF NORMALLY AT XA47Z. THE ONLY APPLICABLE HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS THAT I CAN THINK OF WERE AN APPARENT BREAKDOWN OF APCH CONTROL ADVISING MDPC TOWER OF INBOUND TFC; AND IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE ATR CREW MAY NOT HAVE CHKED ON THE PROPER RADIO FREQ WITH THE TOWER CTLR. THIS IS JUST CONJECTURE ON MY PART.

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.