EMB145 flight crew rejects takeoff due to aoa 1 heat inoperative. Maintenance discovers aoa vane is ...

Narrative:

On takeoff out of ZZZ we aborted the takeoff at about 70 KTS due to EICAS warning 'sps 1-2 inoperative' and caution 'aoa 1 heat inoperative.' followed checklists and contacted maintenance control. 'Aoa 1 heat inoperative' would not clear so we returned to gate. Upon postflt first officer found aoa 1 vane missing. Called ATC to advise of possible FOD to check for. Maintenance arrived at aircraft and began a search. We found the aoa vane laying on the edge of the jetway where we had been parked. When we had originally arrived in ZZZ the jetway was brought closer than normal to the aircraft; but I did not feel it strike the aircraft or make any contact except gently with the padded canopy. I left the aircraft to enter the terminal and was met by a supervisor who asked what type of aircraft we were on and if it took a jetway or jetbridge. She said our type of aircraft was relatively new to the gates and the agents needed to know which type of aircraft is arriving. The first officer did not find any abnormalities on the walkaround and the jetway was pulled away from our aircraft seemingly without incident. I did not feel any bump or have reason to suspect the aircraft of being damaged; but my conclusion is that the aoa vane was either damaged enough by the original placement of the jetway that it fell away from the aircraft as the jetway was pulled away; or was damaged and removed entirely at this point; since it fell directly onto the jetway and remained there until it was located by maintenance. Over the next hour; a few agents and supervisors arrived at the aircraft to demonstrate how the jetway should be brought to the aircraft and talk about how many inches away from the fuselage it should be. Recommend training of gate agents in specifics of parking jetways on EMB145 as opposed to other aircraft types arriving at the gates. The jetway operator was doing her work as usual without an awareness of how close the jetway should be brought to the EMB145. I advised our flight attendant to watch that operators do not bring the jetway too close to the aircraft and will be keeping a much closer eye on this myself as well.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW REJECTS TKOF DUE TO AOA 1 HEAT INOP. MAINTENANCE DISCOVERS AOA VANE IS MISSING AND IS LATER LOCATED ON FLOOR OF DEPARTURE JETWAY.

Narrative: ON TKOF OUT OF ZZZ WE ABORTED THE TKOF AT ABOUT 70 KTS DUE TO EICAS WARNING 'SPS 1-2 INOP' AND CAUTION 'AOA 1 HEAT INOP.' FOLLOWED CHKLISTS AND CONTACTED MAINT CTL. 'AOA 1 HEAT INOP' WOULD NOT CLR SO WE RETURNED TO GATE. UPON POSTFLT FO FOUND AOA 1 VANE MISSING. CALLED ATC TO ADVISE OF POSSIBLE FOD TO CHK FOR. MAINT ARRIVED AT ACFT AND BEGAN A SEARCH. WE FOUND THE AOA VANE LAYING ON THE EDGE OF THE JETWAY WHERE WE HAD BEEN PARKED. WHEN WE HAD ORIGINALLY ARRIVED IN ZZZ THE JETWAY WAS BROUGHT CLOSER THAN NORMAL TO THE ACFT; BUT I DID NOT FEEL IT STRIKE THE ACFT OR MAKE ANY CONTACT EXCEPT GENTLY WITH THE PADDED CANOPY. I LEFT THE ACFT TO ENTER THE TERMINAL AND WAS MET BY A SUPVR WHO ASKED WHAT TYPE OF ACFT WE WERE ON AND IF IT TOOK A JETWAY OR JETBRIDGE. SHE SAID OUR TYPE OF ACFT WAS RELATIVELY NEW TO THE GATES AND THE AGENTS NEEDED TO KNOW WHICH TYPE OF ACFT IS ARRIVING. THE FO DID NOT FIND ANY ABNORMALITIES ON THE WALKAROUND AND THE JETWAY WAS PULLED AWAY FROM OUR ACFT SEEMINGLY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DID NOT FEEL ANY BUMP OR HAVE REASON TO SUSPECT THE ACFT OF BEING DAMAGED; BUT MY CONCLUSION IS THAT THE AOA VANE WAS EITHER DAMAGED ENOUGH BY THE ORIGINAL PLACEMENT OF THE JETWAY THAT IT FELL AWAY FROM THE ACFT AS THE JETWAY WAS PULLED AWAY; OR WAS DAMAGED AND REMOVED ENTIRELY AT THIS POINT; SINCE IT FELL DIRECTLY ONTO THE JETWAY AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL IT WAS LOCATED BY MAINT. OVER THE NEXT HR; A FEW AGENTS AND SUPVRS ARRIVED AT THE ACFT TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE JETWAY SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE ACFT AND TALK ABOUT HOW MANY INCHES AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE IT SHOULD BE. RECOMMEND TRAINING OF GATE AGENTS IN SPECIFICS OF PARKING JETWAYS ON EMB145 AS OPPOSED TO OTHER ACFT TYPES ARRIVING AT THE GATES. THE JETWAY OPERATOR WAS DOING HER WORK AS USUAL WITHOUT AN AWARENESS OF HOW CLOSE THE JETWAY SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE EMB145. I ADVISED OUR FLT ATTENDANT TO WATCH THAT OPERATORS DO NOT BRING THE JETWAY TOO CLOSE TO THE ACFT AND WILL BE KEEPING A MUCH CLOSER EYE ON THIS MYSELF AS WELL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Attributes
ACN	804212
Time
Date	200809
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	804212
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas other flight crewa other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

EMB145 flight crew rejects takeoff due to aoa 1 heat inoperative. Maintenance discovers aoa vane is missing and is later located on floor of departure jetway.