Narrative:

This was a long range flight. In addition to the basic 3 man crew we had an additional first officer seated in the first observer seat and a relief pilot (irp) in the second observer seat. We were #1 for takeoff, with 2 aircraft behind us and 1 aircraft nearing the OM on approach. The tower cleared us for takeoff and shortly thereafter the R3 (over wing) door warning light came on. I asked the pilot in the first observer seat to call the flight attendant at R3 station and have her check the door. (This same thing happened 5 days previously and the door was checked closed. A jiggle on the handle put the light out). The irp volunteered to go down and check the door. I agreed. Shortly thereafter the light went out. We called R3 to advise and continued onto the runway. The irp still had not returned to the cockpit. Because of the aircraft on approach, I did not want to delay the takeoff. I had the pilot in observer seat call to tell the relief pilot to take one of the empty seats in the cabin. We began the takeoff roll. The copilot was making the takeoff from the right seat. About 60-80 KTS the door warning light at R3 was noted on again. I hesitated momentarily to verify and then assumed control of the aircraft and began an abort at 110-120 KTS. We were about 3000 ft down a 13000 ft runway. I turned off the runway at the end and let the aircraft coast to a stop on the parallel taxiway. Someone called to say that the door slide has just been accidently deployed at door R3 when the aircraft stopped. I shut down the #3 engine (near the slide), left the flaps at 10 and confirmed that the R3 door was closed again (but not latched). An aircraft behind us gave a visual report that the slide was inflated normally and extending aft, off the wing. I resumed taxiing to our parking pad away from the terminal. During debriefing I discovered that the irp had actually opened the R3 door a crack to reset it at the same time we were beginning our takeoff roll. He could not get it closed fully. After the abort he again opened it to check and this time the slide was accidently deployed. Numerous things happened (or didn't happen) here. Any one of which would have prevented our need to abort the takeoff. Some of them are: there is a little known fact that the over wing doors will probably not reclose if opened after the aircraft has been refueled. This should be common knowledge. It should be stressed that the aircraft doors are not to be opened when the aircraft is away from the gate except in an emergency. I allowed myself to be rushed at takeoff due to the aircraft on approach and those waiting behind us. Some of the calls to the cabin were made to the 13 (left side door) and had to be relayed across the cabin, causing a short delay of information. Supplemental information from acn 189287. The captain directed me to inform the flight attendants at 3R to tell the irp that the light was out and to take any available seat for takeoff. There were many empty seats available. Takeoff roll was initiated. The flight attendant told me that the irp was not in sight. I was waiting for the message that the irp was seated, but the flight attendant never returned with that information. During takeoff roll the same door light came back on. I received the slightly panicked message that the door was open. After telling the captain he decided to abort. None of us remembered to disarm the autobrakes. About 5 seconds of maximum braking pressure was automatically applied. After slide inspection, returned to ramp where all 8 left tires were found flat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TKOF ABORT WHEN DOOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DURING TKOF RUN.

Narrative: THIS WAS A LONG RANGE FLT. IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC 3 MAN CREW WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL FO SEATED IN THE FIRST OBSERVER SEAT AND A RELIEF PLT (IRP) IN THE SECOND OBSERVER SEAT. WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF, WITH 2 ACFT BEHIND US AND 1 ACFT NEARING THE OM ON APCH. THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE R3 (OVER WING) DOOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I ASKED THE PLT IN THE FIRST OBSERVER SEAT TO CALL THE FLT ATTENDANT AT R3 STATION AND HAVE HER CHK THE DOOR. (THIS SAME THING HAPPENED 5 DAYS PREVIOUSLY AND THE DOOR WAS CHKED CLOSED. A JIGGLE ON THE HANDLE PUT THE LIGHT OUT). THE IRP VOLUNTEERED TO GO DOWN AND CHK THE DOOR. I AGREED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE LIGHT WENT OUT. WE CALLED R3 TO ADVISE AND CONTINUED ONTO THE RWY. THE IRP STILL HAD NOT RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. BECAUSE OF THE ACFT ON APCH, I DID NOT WANT TO DELAY THE TKOF. I HAD THE PLT IN OBSERVER SEAT CALL TO TELL THE RELIEF PLT TO TAKE ONE OF THE EMPTY SEATS IN THE CABIN. WE BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. THE COPLT WAS MAKING THE TKOF FROM THE R SEAT. ABOUT 60-80 KTS THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT AT R3 WAS NOTED ON AGAIN. I HESITATED MOMENTARILY TO VERIFY AND THEN ASSUMED CTL OF THE ACFT AND BEGAN AN ABORT AT 110-120 KTS. WE WERE ABOUT 3000 FT DOWN A 13000 FT RWY. I TURNED OFF THE RWY AT THE END AND LET THE ACFT COAST TO A STOP ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. SOMEONE CALLED TO SAY THAT THE DOOR SLIDE HAS JUST BEEN ACCIDENTLY DEPLOYED AT DOOR R3 WHEN THE ACFT STOPPED. I SHUT DOWN THE #3 ENG (NEAR THE SLIDE), LEFT THE FLAPS AT 10 AND CONFIRMED THAT THE R3 DOOR WAS CLOSED AGAIN (BUT NOT LATCHED). AN ACFT BEHIND US GAVE A VISUAL RPT THAT THE SLIDE WAS INFLATED NORMALLY AND EXTENDING AFT, OFF THE WING. I RESUMED TAXIING TO OUR PARKING PAD AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL. DURING DEBRIEFING I DISCOVERED THAT THE IRP HAD ACTUALLY OPENED THE R3 DOOR A CRACK TO RESET IT AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE BEGINNING OUR TKOF ROLL. HE COULD NOT GET IT CLOSED FULLY. AFTER THE ABORT HE AGAIN OPENED IT TO CHK AND THIS TIME THE SLIDE WAS ACCIDENTLY DEPLOYED. NUMEROUS THINGS HAPPENED (OR DIDN'T HAPPEN) HERE. ANY ONE OF WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED OUR NEED TO ABORT THE TKOF. SOME OF THEM ARE: THERE IS A LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT THE OVER WING DOORS WILL PROBABLY NOT RECLOSE IF OPENED AFTER THE ACFT HAS BEEN REFUELED. THIS SHOULD BE COMMON KNOWLEDGE. IT SHOULD BE STRESSED THAT THE ACFT DOORS ARE NOT TO BE OPENED WHEN THE ACFT IS AWAY FROM THE GATE EXCEPT IN AN EMER. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE RUSHED AT TKOF DUE TO THE ACFT ON APCH AND THOSE WAITING BEHIND US. SOME OF THE CALLS TO THE CABIN WERE MADE TO THE 13 (L SIDE DOOR) AND HAD TO BE RELAYED ACROSS THE CABIN, CAUSING A SHORT DELAY OF INFO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 189287. THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO INFORM THE FLT ATTENDANTS AT 3R TO TELL THE IRP THAT THE LIGHT WAS OUT AND TO TAKE ANY AVAILABLE SEAT FOR TKOF. THERE WERE MANY EMPTY SEATS AVAILABLE. TKOF ROLL WAS INITIATED. THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT THE IRP WAS NOT IN SIGHT. I WAS WAITING FOR THE MESSAGE THAT THE IRP WAS SEATED, BUT THE FLT ATTENDANT NEVER RETURNED WITH THAT INFO. DURING TKOF ROLL THE SAME DOOR LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I RECEIVED THE SLIGHTLY PANICKED MESSAGE THAT THE DOOR WAS OPEN. AFTER TELLING THE CAPT HE DECIDED TO ABORT. NONE OF US REMEMBERED TO DISARM THE AUTOBRAKES. ABOUT 5 SECONDS OF MAX BRAKING PRESSURE WAS AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED. AFTER SLIDE INSPECTION, RETURNED TO RAMP WHERE ALL 8 L TIRES WERE FOUND FLAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.