3419 IAD-CMH rejected takeoff May 22, 2015
 

Yesterday was flying IAD-CMH on 3419. Everything was normal, we taxied out to the runway, and we started to takeoff. But very early in the takeoff, just as we were getting some speed, the pilots aborted. That sure gets your attention, especially when you are in the exit row!

We got off the runway onto a taxiway and a pilot announced that they had aborted due to "a problem with the steering." We ended up going back to the gate. They fixed the problem, tested the plane, and we were off again. All in all we arrived and hour and three quarters late. Not bad considering.

By the time the plane landed in CMH there was an email from someone from the Proactive Recovery Operations Team at UA offering compensation ($100 certificate or 5000 miles) for the "rejected takeoff." Learn something new everyday. Had never heard that term before.

Sounds pretty scary. Did you have any sense for how close to the go/no-go point the plane was?

Never experienced an aborted take-off, but once was on EWR-SNA flight very close to touching down to land when the pilot aborted landing and zoomed back up. Once we were back up and circling to land again, pilot came on PA and told us there was a small plane still at the far end of the runway and he didn't want to take any chances.

Always makes me think nothing possible when the FA asks "Will you be willing to assist in an emergency".

Felt like it wasn't too close but hard for me to tell. My wife, who has her private pilot license and who was with me, felt the same.

I've had both and the aborted landing is much scarier. On the takeoff, you're still on the ground and it's over quickly.

One time at ATL, we aborted at what felt like 30 feet above the runway in a RJ, after descending through pretty strong storms. Not only do you know something is wrong, but you know the ordeal is far from over at that point. Not to mention in this case we had to climb back up with lightning all around. I had never heard passengers go as completely silent as they did on that flight.

I had 2 straight on a TWA MD-80 ORD-STL. After the 2nd regected takeoff I demanded and several others to be taken off.

Did they let you off?

Yup. Flight cancelled at that point. When the Captain said 3rd time should be the charm, I hit the button and said, I'd like to get off. Half the airplane got off. The flight cancelled about 2 hours later.

"3rd time should be the charm" is not the kind of thing you want to hear from the pilot of an airplane that you're on!

I was on an AA flight at DFW when takeoff aborted. Seems there was some sort of birthday balloon floating around that got sucked in an engine. They came back to the tarmac and waited till the brakes cooled off.then left without incident.

I had a similar experience with a rejected takeoff from DTW-IAH. Pilot said the computer noted the aircraft was not in takeoff configuration. Went back to the gate, they checked the brakes (since they were just used on a full load of fuel) and we took off again. Got the same email about the miles or money voucher.

Pilots train for these events all the time and while it may seem scary to passengers not used to it I doubt there was any actual danger.

I've experienced an aborted takeoff once and a couple of go-arounds. Periods of relative excitement during an otherwise routine situation.

V1 is the critical failure speed at which point the pilots can still safely abort the takeoff. Anything over V1 and the takeoff will still proceed even with just one engine operable.

Correct, I fully trust the pilots to make the right call and though scary sometimes, probably wouldn't have phased me much at all. I have been in three aborted take offs in the past two years and two go arounds. To me, it seems like something that does happen more often but usually not newsworthy by media as there would be so many during the year.

Wow, I've only experienced 1 go around my whole life of flying. 0 Aborted take offs..... That's a really high percentage!

Never had an aborted take-off. Any number of aborted landings. Most recent at NRT when the side winds were so violent the pilot couldn't keep it on the right heading. We flew around for about an hour until the storm went away.