Narrative:

B727 crew believed takeoff clearance was given to us and first officer read back clearance with no reply from tower. On takeoff roll several calls from tower were made to a military HU53 helicopter departing from the east of runway 17 towards the west, to 'remain east of runway 17.' no reply was heard from the helicopter and no action was taken by helicopter to comply. Tower then directed B727 to abort takeoff. We did so at 80-90 KTS with no problems. As we were aborting, that is when helicopter finally made a turn away from runway 17. As B727 crew exited runway, tower apologized for misunderstanding and told us to switch to ground. After arriving back in denver, we were directed to contact abq tower. They said they reviewed the tape and found that we had read back a takeoff clearance for the helicopter. However, tower never did reply with a negative or otherwise. I think, B727 crew, we assumed it was our takeoff clearance due to the fact that we were position and hold on runway 17, while a twin engine propeller completed landing roll on runway 17 and cleared runway. Once he was clear, we expected, out of habit, that we would receive takeoff clearance next. I was completely unaware of a military helicopter squadron operating out of abq.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ACFT IN POS AND HOLDING ON RWY WAITING FOR TFC TO CLR WHEN TWR CLRED A HELI (OFF THE RWY) FOR TKOF. FLC MISTOOK CLRNC FOR THEM AND ROGERED THE TKOF CLRNC WITH THEIR CALL SIGN WHICH WAS MISSED BY THE TWR CTLR. TWR TRIED TO CONTACT THE HELI TO STAY S OF RWY, BUT WHEN UNABLE HAD RPTR FLC ABORT. TWR APOLOGIZED FOR MISUNDERSTANDING.

Narrative: B727 CREW BELIEVED TKOF CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO US AND FO READ BACK CLRNC WITH NO REPLY FROM TWR. ON TKOF ROLL SEVERAL CALLS FROM TWR WERE MADE TO A MIL HU53 HELI DEPARTING FROM THE E OF RWY 17 TOWARDS THE W, TO 'REMAIN E OF RWY 17.' NO REPLY WAS HEARD FROM THE HELI AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BY HELI TO COMPLY. TWR THEN DIRECTED B727 TO ABORT TKOF. WE DID SO AT 80-90 KTS WITH NO PROBS. AS WE WERE ABORTING, THAT IS WHEN HELI FINALLY MADE A TURN AWAY FROM RWY 17. AS B727 CREW EXITED RWY, TWR APOLOGIZED FOR MISUNDERSTANDING AND TOLD US TO SWITCH TO GND. AFTER ARRIVING BACK IN DENVER, WE WERE DIRECTED TO CONTACT ABQ TWR. THEY SAID THEY REVIEWED THE TAPE AND FOUND THAT WE HAD READ BACK A TKOF CLRNC FOR THE HELI. HOWEVER, TWR NEVER DID REPLY WITH A NEGATIVE OR OTHERWISE. I THINK, B727 CREW, WE ASSUMED IT WAS OUR TKOF CLRNC DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE POS AND HOLD ON RWY 17, WHILE A TWIN ENG PROP COMPLETED LNDG ROLL ON RWY 17 AND CLRED RWY. ONCE HE WAS CLR, WE EXPECTED, OUT OF HABIT, THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE TKOF CLRNC NEXT. I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF A MIL HELI SQUADRON OPERATING OUT OF ABQ.

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.