Inspired by the thread of aborted landings, I wonder how many of you have experienced an aborted take-off? Because until now I was lucky, never happened while I was on a plane.

Same here! Touch wood!

Had TWO aborted take-offs last month on the same flight!!! my gf and I were flying ORD-TPA on UA (TED). It was the day after Chicago's big storm last month, gf and I were on the 0630 flight out, we boarded on-time, doors closed, de-iced, pushed, and started to taxi. There was light snow, blowing snow, gusty winds, and as having checked the ATIS before we boarded, only about 3 miles vis.

I was listening to Channel 9 (ATC communications), which I always do. The captian comes on over the PA and informes us that prior to taking the runway the FO was going to step into the cabin for a minute to ensure that during taxi there was no additional ice build-up on the wings, he did, returned to the flight deck, and we taxied onto the runway 32L @ T10 intersection, an 8800' available runway intersection departure but today you could maybe see 1000'.

Now my gf hadn't flown for 9 years, so she was already crushing my hand, she hates takeoffs and landings (my favorite parts of flying). I had the window seat and we started our takeoff roll . About 7-8 seconds into the roll the tower controller cancels our takeoff clearance and we hit the brakes, gf almost crushes my hand now, we turn off the runway and the tower controller advises that there was a snow plow on the runway - yikes!!!! Now I work at ORD and drive on the airfield everyday, so I explain to the gf that aborted takeoffs are a somewhat common thing, having seen an Evergeen 747-100 abort once (go-arounds happen almost every day).

Captain comes back on and says we have to go back to the gate to have the brakes checked (hot hot hot), possibly top off the fuel again, and of course de-ice. Luckily we found an open gate quickly, and after about an hour we were once again ready to go.

Surprisingly we quickly taxied back to 32L T10 again, and were #1 for takeoff, FO comes out again and does his wing check, good to go. We taxi in poisition, receive takeoff clearance, start rolling, and literally right after the PIC spools up the engines the tower controller cancels our takeoff clearance again!!!!! By this time the gf is seriously scared and we hear a few shrieks from the cabin. We have to wait for a heavy landing on 27R, the captain tells the tower controller "man this just isn't our day!"

The heavy lands and we are cleared for takeoff, successfully we are airborne and outside of my few crushed fingers, we enjoyed a great stay in Clearwater Beach!!!!

Had one about a year ago on a 763, ORD-LAX. We start rolling down 32L at ORD and then the power drops and we just coast for a bit...then pull off the runway.

Apparently a warning light came on; we taxied over to a penalty box area and it was fixed (by whom, I don't know).

My flight from EWR to Bermuda in the early '80's had this happen twice. First attempt to take off the engine backfired violently. I was at the window 2 rows behind the problem engine and we were just about to the end of the runway. They did some tinkering kept us on board and tried two hours later. That time I watched flames streaming from the problem engine but we weren't going very fast. So back to the terminal we went and they replaced the engine. Left at 6pm instead of 8am on a practically empty plane. I learned my lesson of knowing what other carriers went to my destination so I negotiate a change. Oh on the way back there was the controllers strike so got to wait in the airport for 6 hours again waiting clearance to land before taking off since the flight was so short and there was no food left at all.

msv

Only once, and it was only 3-4 seconds after we had started rolling, so we weren't going very fast at all. We just looped around the taxiways to get back in line and took off again.

One other time the pilot revved the engines, released the brakes, and then shut everything down about a second later. We waited another 30 seconds or so and took off right from where we were.

Once...and it was a pretty scary one. Heading out of BOS during a very, very cold night heading home for Thanksgiving I think. I think BOS was down to one or two runways b/c of winds....etc...so we head to power up as we were turning onto the runway. As we powerup we continue going straight...the plane doesn't turn...and we almost go off the runway...at the last second, the aircraft turns...and then does a few strange turns going down the runway...but not accelerating. Apparently, our front landing gear had frozen, and we had trouble turning. So we went back to the Penalty box...waited to be de-iced. Then went to near the gate....waited to be de-iced. Finally were de-iced, checked if the gear worked (by making sharp turns down a taxi-way) and took off about 3 hrs late with lots of scared pax...and scared flight attendants, 2 of whom mentioned they wanted off the plane. To make matters worse, it was a late flight, so lots of people had already missed connections in ORD, and wanted to stay in BOS that night...however, no one had the opportunity to get off. Lots of angry, somewhat scared pax.

-W

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

I had a very similar situation many years ago on an AA 727 taking off from Runway 4 at LGA: loud engine backfire near the start of the takeoff roll. Takeoff aborted; taxied either to the gate or a parking area; maintenance performed; takeoff re-attempted on Runway 4; engine backfired again. I no longer recall where I was flying that day (DFW? ORD? YYZ?) or how I eventually got there.

Once, just last month, LAX-ORD. Apparently, a passenger decided to get up and hit the lav right as we were starting our takeoff roll. As we exited the runway, the pilot came on and explained exactly why this had happened and made a big point of wondering whether or not ATC would let us go back to the front of the line or if we would need to wait an extra 20 minutes by going to the end of the line.

It was a 777, so I never could see the mystery peer, but you gotta figure there was some lynching going on when they returned to their seat.

And, of course, yes, ATC let us go directly back to the front of the line.

Iirc, 1985, PA flight SFO-LON. The cockpit crew were issued an abort message and performed a high-speed taxi on the active runway back to the terminal. We unloaded pax and baggage, and watched the dog get very twitchy at an uncollected bag turned in by a chap who had checked in at the podium and departed, when we collected and rechecked our luggage. (The bag was deal with by the SPD EOD team.)

This was after we were counted and recounted, and checked onto the aircraft at least three times before being cleared for departure. Someone had the brass to risk his / her job and cancel the flight departure for further screening. ^

Four hour delay - no complaint from these pax.

Last month, SK618 from GVA to CPH. We lined up for take-off, captain revved the engines, released the brakes, and the plane started rolling. But after a couple of seconds the engines were abruptly throttled back and after rolling down the runway for a bit we executed an awkward tight turn onto a taxiway and wound up last in line again.

Never got an explanation for the incident. (But I wound up in an SK-paid hotel room in Copenhagen, since I missed my last flight home. Again! Abysmal on-time stats for that flight...)

Three times for me.

Once on a ORD to MCO.

Once on a IAH to SEA.

Once on a MCO to LAX.

Have had several 727 No. 2 engine compressor stall episodes that resulted in lenghty delays: EA back in the 70s LGW-ATL and most recently GSO-ATL on DL about a week before they retired the type - got a $75 voucher for that one!
Best one, however, was a 727 true catastrophic failure on No. 3 rolling at DFW enroute to TUC. The engine went "thud' and the whole airframe vibrated. They pulled all power and we rolled off on a high-speed and stopped. The OBL opened the cockpit door to ask what happened and the 3rd officer just threw up his hands ??
They towed us back to the gate and we got to watch them climb on the engine for about about an hour before they gave up and towed it away. It was pretty clear that aircraft wasn't flying again that day.

i had one where we had to evacuate the aircraft...

back in the old days when co had the $99 cross country fares in the early 80's, i was lax-hou-pbi on a co dc-10. the plane was about half full and i was sitting by the exit row. we rolled out and accelerated and accelerated and then WHAM! the captain locks up the brakes and announces, "evacuate, evacuate, evacuate, this is not a drill!" followed by the evac horn.

the f/a in the jumpseat opposite me yells at me to stand by the door and when she tells me to pull the handle, pull it as hard as i can. she yells, i pull and up goes the door and out pops the slide.

She's barking instructions and yells to me, "if the don't jump, push them!" and i did have to do that as one person froze.

After the pax had gone she yelled "jump" and i jumped.

at the bottom of the slide, we were told to run away from the aircraft and that's just what i did. when i finally turned to look back at the aircraft, the tail engine was belching balck smoke and was just about to be sprayed by the lax fire dept.

upon returning to the terminal and being checked for injuries, the captain got on the p/a at the gate and explained what happened...there was an oil leak where the oil dripped onto something hot in the engine with result being an engine fire and that's whay he aborted.

no one was hurt and talk about "the old days", in a matter of about 20 minutes, delta had re-ticked me lax-atl-pbi no questions asked.

In 1989 or 1990, UA from DEN to IAD, brand new 757 just delivered from factory, Boeing reps on board advising pilots, mechanics and FA's. Pilot starts takeoff roll, speed accelerates (I don't know to what speed, although prior to nose rotation), the brakes slam, plane shudders, people scream, unsecured items fly. Plane diverted to side strip. Pilot announces that computer had determined flaps were not completely deployed and overruled cockpit to stop takeoff. After about an hour (with on-board Boeing reps conveniently advising), we return to runway to try again, and after acceleration...repeat of first abort. Another 90 minutes of investigation and pilot wisely announces "we're going to call it a day," and we return to gate and $16 hotel rooms (since no replacement a/c and last flights have already left).