Rejected takeoff
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In aviation terminology, a rejected takeoff (RTO) or aborted takeoff is the situation in which the pilot decides to abort the takeoff of an airplane after initiating the takeoff roll but before the airplane leaves the ground.
Reasons to perform a rejected takeoff vary, but are usually related to a suspected or actual problem with the aircraft, such as an engine failure; fire; incorrect configuration; aircraft control issue; unusually slow acceleration; automated warning signal(s) indicating a critical system failure; environmental conditions such as predictive
There are three phases of a takeoff. In the low-speed regime, usually below 80 kts or so, the takeoff will be rejected even for minor failures. In the high-speed regime, above usually 80 kts but below
Single-engine aircraft will reject any takeoff after an engine failure, regardless of speed, as there is no power available to continue the takeoff. Even if the airplane is already airborne, if sufficient runway remains, an attempt to land straight ahead on the runway may be made. This may also apply to some light twin-engine airplanes.
Before the takeoff roll is started, the autobrake system of the aircraft, if available, is armed. The autobrake system will automatically apply maximum brakes if throttle is reduced to idle or reverse thrust during the takeoff roll once a preset speed has been reached.
RTO testing
An RTO is usually seen as one of the most challenging tests an airplane has to undergo for its
Accidents involving rejected take-offs
- 2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash – an RTO above V1, four fatalities
- 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision – RTO after collision following runway incursion; aircraft struck destroyed with eight fatalities, aircraft that performed RTO damaged with no fatalities, later repaired and returned to service
- Air France Flight 007 – RTO above V1 after flight-control failure, 130 fatalities
- American Airlines Flight 383 – uncontained engine failure and fire
- Ameristar Charters Flight 9363 – RTO above V1 after flight-control failure, aircraft written off but no fatalities
- British Airtours Flight 28M– uncontained engine failure that damaged a fuel tank, resulting in a major fire and 55 fatalities
- British Airways Flight 2276 – uncontained engine failure
- Garuda Indonesia Flight 865 – RTO after engine failure, three fatalities
- Korean Air Flight 2708 – uncontained engine failure, no fatalities, aircraft later repaired and returned to service
- Overseas National Airways Flight 032 – uncontained engine failure attributed to bird ingestion, aircraft destroyed by fire but no fatalities
- Spantax Flight 995 – an RTO above V1, 50 fatalities
- TWA Flight 843 – RTO after engine failure, aircraft destroyed by fire but no fatalities
See also
References
External links
- Airliners.net – Photos detailing a RTO performed by a Lockheed Tristar at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Archived 2012-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
- History of RTO Operations at Evergreen with good explanatory notes
- Fred George (Jul 21, 2017). "The Go/No-Go Decision: High-Speed RTOs Are Fraught With Risk". Aviation Week Network.
- Boeing 747-8 rejected take-off test, 2011