Narrative:

After being deiced, we taxied to runway 35L. Prior to takeoff we discussed target N1 RPM with the FMC showed as 97.9 percent. It was the copilot's leg. He pushed the throttles forward and pushed the 'toga' button and the automatic throttles came on. The RPM stopped accelerating at 95.0 percent. I manually pushed the throttle forward but the engines would not accelerate above 95.0 percent so I aborted the takeoff. I first thought there must be ice on the engine probes, but when we called maintenance they said to check the temperature in the FMC takeoff page. We found the 21 degrees to be in the centigrade column instead of the fahrenheit column. We then inserted it correctly and the target N1 RPM dropped to 93.6 percent. We went back to the gate. We had the airplane inspected. Then departed normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter admits that there was no problem with his aircraft. It was just the degrees centigrade versus degrees fahrenheit problem. The reporter believes that the crew must insert degrees fahrenheit or the FMC will revert to degrees centigrade. As soon as he returned to the line, the mechanic and the pilot's flight manager knew exactly what had happened as it has happened before, possibly that day. The reporter was thinking that there might have been serious icing problems, similar to those which knocked a similar air carrier flight out of the sky. The FMC will not let the flight crew put on more power than the ambient temperature will allow -- you cannot overspd the engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG ABORTED ITS TKOF WHEN IT DID NOT GET THE PWR THAT THE CREW THOUGHT THAT IT NEEDED.

Narrative: AFTER BEING DEICED, WE TAXIED TO RWY 35L. PRIOR TO TKOF WE DISCUSSED TARGET N1 RPM WITH THE FMC SHOWED AS 97.9 PERCENT. IT WAS THE COPLT'S LEG. HE PUSHED THE THROTTLES FORWARD AND PUSHED THE 'TOGA' BUTTON AND THE AUTO THROTTLES CAME ON. THE RPM STOPPED ACCELERATING AT 95.0 PERCENT. I MANUALLY PUSHED THE THROTTLE FORWARD BUT THE ENGS WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 95.0 PERCENT SO I ABORTED THE TKOF. I FIRST THOUGHT THERE MUST BE ICE ON THE ENG PROBES, BUT WHEN WE CALLED MAINT THEY SAID TO CHK THE TEMP IN THE FMC TKOF PAGE. WE FOUND THE 21 DEGS TO BE IN THE CENTIGRADE COLUMN INSTEAD OF THE FAHRENHEIT COLUMN. WE THEN INSERTED IT CORRECTLY AND THE TARGET N1 RPM DROPPED TO 93.6 PERCENT. WE WENT BACK TO THE GATE. WE HAD THE AIRPLANE INSPECTED. THEN DEPARTED NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR ADMITS THAT THERE WAS NO PROB WITH HIS ACFT. IT WAS JUST THE DEGS CENTIGRADE VERSUS DEGS FAHRENHEIT PROB. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE CREW MUST INSERT DEGS FAHRENHEIT OR THE FMC WILL REVERT TO DEGS CENTIGRADE. AS SOON AS HE RETURNED TO THE LINE, THE MECH AND THE PLT'S FLT MGR KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED AS IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, POSSIBLY THAT DAY. THE RPTR WAS THINKING THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SERIOUS ICING PROBS, SIMILAR TO THOSE WHICH KNOCKED A SIMILAR ACR FLT OUT OF THE SKY. THE FMC WILL NOT LET THE FLC PUT ON MORE PWR THAN THE AMBIENT TEMP WILL ALLOW -- YOU CANNOT OVERSPD THE ENG.

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.