Abort-Analysis Checklist

Its up to the airplane to demonstrate to us its capable of performing on takeoff. And its up to us to ensure its doing what its supposed to do and, if not, to abort the takeoff and live to fly another time. At most of the airports from which we fly, even a runway overrun, like the one pictured above, results in no or minimal damage.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots are responsible for ensuring the aircraft's proper performance during takeoff and must be prepared to abort if any critical condition is not met.
Aborting a takeoff is not a pilot failure but a critical safety decision to prevent accidents, often resulting in minimal damage even during a runway overrun.
Key safety checks are outlined for various stages of takeoff, including lineup, takeoff roll, airspeed, runway midpoint, and liftoff, each requiring an abort if parameters are not met.

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It’s up to the airplane to demonstrate to us it’s capable of performing on takeoff. And it’s up to us to ensure it’s doing what it’s supposed to do and, if not, to abort the takeoff and live to fly another time. At most of the airports from which we fly, even a runway overrun, like the one pictured above, results in no or minimal damage.

Remember: Aborting a takeoff isn’t a failure on the part of the pilot; it’s a pilot showing the right stuff by recognizing the wrong stuff and taking action to keep people alive.