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 verifying aircraft performance during takeoff and must be prepared to abort if it doesn't meet expectations.
Aborting a takeoff demonstrates good pilot judgment and commitment to safety, rather than failure, typically resulting in minimal damage even in a runway overrun.
The article outlines critical checkpoints during the lineup and takeoff roll (e.g., trim, engine parameters, airspeed, runway midpoint speed) to guide the decision to proceed or abort.

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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.