Narrative:

Taking off; we heard a very loud bang accompanied by a sudden aircraft jolt and yaw momentarily at about 130 KTS. Aborted the takeoff; came to a full stop on the runway; made PA to cabin to remain seated; asked tower if they saw any smoke or anything unusual on or around the aircraft. The controller told us that everything looked normal. We told him what happened and that we will go back to the gate to further investigate. While taxiing; we talked to the cabin crew and they told us that during the loud bang; passenger sitting on the left side of the aircraft saw a large ball of flame coming out of the left engine for a second. Engine indications were normal; but we decided to shut #1 down at this point anyway. Once we got on the taxiway; the tower controller told us again that everything looks good on the outside. Once we got back to the gate; the mechanics quickly investigated and told us that we ingested a rather large animal. Airport maintenance went out to the runway and according to them; they found pieces of fur on the pavement. We found no physical damage on the aircraft other than evidence of ingestion on the left engine. There were no injuries among crew or passenger. Maintenance grounded the plane and the flight was canceled. According to our SOP; 'tire failure from V1-20 KTS to V1 is not cause for an rejected takeoff.' in reality; in a case like ours was; without any other indications; it is very difficult if not impossible to positively distinguish between a tire failure; or a more serious source of problem. We were approaching V1 rapidly. What we felt happening to the aircraft felt just like blowing a tire. That in fact was my first thought. We were doing about 130 KTS when this happened and I decided to abort at that speed; hoping that I didn't do an rejected takeoff for a blown tire. I was worried about the consequences of my decision in case we indeed only had a tire failure. (V1 was 137 KTS; if I remember right).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG PILOT REPORTS A LOUD BANG AND YAW AT ABOUT 130 KTS ON TKOF. THE TKOF WAS ABORTED. FURRY ANIMAL REMAINS WERE FOUND ON THE RWY.

Narrative: TAKING OFF; WE HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG ACCOMPANIED BY A SUDDEN ACFT JOLT AND YAW MOMENTARILY AT ABOUT 130 KTS. ABORTED THE TKOF; CAME TO A FULL STOP ON THE RWY; MADE PA TO CABIN TO REMAIN SEATED; ASKED TWR IF THEY SAW ANY SMOKE OR ANYTHING UNUSUAL ON OR AROUND THE ACFT. THE CTLR TOLD US THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL. WE TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT WE WILL GO BACK TO THE GATE TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE. WHILE TAXIING; WE TALKED TO THE CABIN CREW AND THEY TOLD US THAT DURING THE LOUD BANG; PAX SITTING ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT SAW A LARGE BALL OF FLAME COMING OUT OF THE L ENG FOR A SECOND. ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL; BUT WE DECIDED TO SHUT #1 DOWN AT THIS POINT ANYWAY. ONCE WE GOT ON THE TXWY; THE TWR CTLR TOLD US AGAIN THAT EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE. ONCE WE GOT BACK TO THE GATE; THE MECHS QUICKLY INVESTIGATED AND TOLD US THAT WE INGESTED A RATHER LARGE ANIMAL. ARPT MAINT WENT OUT TO THE RWY AND ACCORDING TO THEM; THEY FOUND PIECES OF FUR ON THE PAVEMENT. WE FOUND NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE ON THE ACFT OTHER THAN EVIDENCE OF INGESTION ON THE L ENG. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AMONG CREW OR PAX. MAINT GNDED THE PLANE AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED. ACCORDING TO OUR SOP; 'TIRE FAILURE FROM V1-20 KTS TO V1 IS NOT CAUSE FOR AN RTO.' IN REALITY; IN A CASE LIKE OURS WAS; WITHOUT ANY OTHER INDICATIONS; IT IS VERY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO POSITIVELY DISTINGUISH BTWN A TIRE FAILURE; OR A MORE SERIOUS SOURCE OF PROB. WE WERE APCHING V1 RAPIDLY. WHAT WE FELT HAPPENING TO THE ACFT FELT JUST LIKE BLOWING A TIRE. THAT IN FACT WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT. WE WERE DOING ABOUT 130 KTS WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND I DECIDED TO ABORT AT THAT SPD; HOPING THAT I DIDN'T DO AN RTO FOR A BLOWN TIRE. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY DECISION IN CASE WE INDEED ONLY HAD A TIRE FAILURE. (V1 WAS 137 KTS; IF I REMEMBER RIGHT).

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.