Narrative:

During preflight, the cargo load was reduced from 96600 pounds to 93363 pounds by the crew for anticipated conditions at the scheduled departure time. Upon taxi out, ATIS was rechked at 31 degrees C and all other parameters remained unchanged for anticipated takeoff on runway 6. Takeoff thrust for 620000 pounds was calculated to be 1.64 EPR. Actual takeoff thrust obtained was 1.605 EPR at maximum power. The power levers were against the breaker bar. All engines indicated identical power. A rejected takeoff was initiated at 80 KTS. The aircraft was decelerated gently. The company was contacted by telephone and everyone agreed that the high outside air temperature appeared to have caused the problem. The crew recalculated the takeoff for 35 degrees C with a 5 KT headwind. 11333 pounds of cargo was removed. A new flight plan was obtained. The takeoff was accomplished at 34 degrees C with winds of 120 degrees at 14 KTS or 7 KTS of headwind. All parameters were normal. During flight, individual toilets began to fail. Within 5 hours after takeoff, all lavatories were inoperative. Waste tanks indicated full. Sewage backed up to the very brim. Upon shutdown, the #2 aircraft generator did not accept the load from generators #1 and #3. The APU would not accept a load. Ground power was unreliable. Aircraft doors were not able to be opened as the aircraft was on emergency power only from the battery, with the #2 engine running, APU running and ground power connected. Finally the aircraft accepted ground power long enough to allow for the passenger doors to be opened electrically. Both electrical controllers and manual back up were employed but to no avail. Multiple electrical problems were noted. The total number of write- ups for this leg was twelve. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter described the engine low power situation as a 'non event.' he is convinced that the problem was caused by an ATIS that was not updated. The takeoff performance was calculated on 31 degrees C while the actual temperature was 35 degrees C. The reporter has not documented any faulty load manifests, but has had many trips with much higher than predicted fuel burn and longer takeoff roll. The reporter does not know exactly why his air carrier would not give him an incident report form. The total air temperature gauge on the MD11, as on most aircraft, cannot be used on the ground because it is not shaded and can give erroneously high readings. It needs moving air to give a proper reading. The reporter wonders how the cargo weight decreased if the cargo door wasn't opened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 CAPT ABORTED HIS TKOF BECAUSE OF LOW ENG PWR. HE ALSO SUSPECTS THAT HIS WT MANIFEST MAY HAVE BEEN DELIBERATELY FAULTY.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT, THE CARGO LOAD WAS REDUCED FROM 96600 LBS TO 93363 LBS BY THE CREW FOR ANTICIPATED CONDITIONS AT THE SCHEDULED DEP TIME. UPON TAXI OUT, ATIS WAS RECHKED AT 31 DEGS C AND ALL OTHER PARAMETERS REMAINED UNCHANGED FOR ANTICIPATED TKOF ON RWY 6. TKOF THRUST FOR 620000 LBS WAS CALCULATED TO BE 1.64 EPR. ACTUAL TKOF THRUST OBTAINED WAS 1.605 EPR AT MAX PWR. THE PWR LEVERS WERE AGAINST THE BREAKER BAR. ALL ENGS INDICATED IDENTICAL PWR. A REJECTED TKOF WAS INITIATED AT 80 KTS. THE ACFT WAS DECELERATED GENTLY. THE COMPANY WAS CONTACTED BY TELEPHONE AND EVERYONE AGREED THAT THE HIGH OUTSIDE AIR TEMP APPEARED TO HAVE CAUSED THE PROB. THE CREW RECALCULATED THE TKOF FOR 35 DEGS C WITH A 5 KT HEADWIND. 11333 LBS OF CARGO WAS REMOVED. A NEW FLT PLAN WAS OBTAINED. THE TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT 34 DEGS C WITH WINDS OF 120 DEGS AT 14 KTS OR 7 KTS OF HEADWIND. ALL PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL. DURING FLT, INDIVIDUAL TOILETS BEGAN TO FAIL. WITHIN 5 HRS AFTER TKOF, ALL LAVATORIES WERE INOP. WASTE TANKS INDICATED FULL. SEWAGE BACKED UP TO THE VERY BRIM. UPON SHUTDOWN, THE #2 ACFT GENERATOR DID NOT ACCEPT THE LOAD FROM GENERATORS #1 AND #3. THE APU WOULD NOT ACCEPT A LOAD. GND PWR WAS UNRELIABLE. ACFT DOORS WERE NOT ABLE TO BE OPENED AS THE ACFT WAS ON EMER PWR ONLY FROM THE BATTERY, WITH THE #2 ENG RUNNING, APU RUNNING AND GND PWR CONNECTED. FINALLY THE ACFT ACCEPTED GND PWR LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR THE PAX DOORS TO BE OPENED ELECTRICALLY. BOTH ELECTRICAL CTLRS AND MANUAL BACK UP WERE EMPLOYED BUT TO NO AVAIL. MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL PROBS WERE NOTED. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WRITE- UPS FOR THIS LEG WAS TWELVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DESCRIBED THE ENG LOW PWR SIT AS A 'NON EVENT.' HE IS CONVINCED THAT THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY AN ATIS THAT WAS NOT UPDATED. THE TKOF PERFORMANCE WAS CALCULATED ON 31 DEGS C WHILE THE ACTUAL TEMP WAS 35 DEGS C. THE RPTR HAS NOT DOCUMENTED ANY FAULTY LOAD MANIFESTS, BUT HAS HAD MANY TRIPS WITH MUCH HIGHER THAN PREDICTED FUEL BURN AND LONGER TKOF ROLL. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHY HIS ACR WOULD NOT GIVE HIM AN INCIDENT RPT FORM. THE TOTAL AIR TEMP GAUGE ON THE MD11, AS ON MOST ACFT, CANNOT BE USED ON THE GND BECAUSE IT IS NOT SHADED AND CAN GIVE ERRONEOUSLY HIGH READINGS. IT NEEDS MOVING AIR TO GIVE A PROPER READING. THE RPTR WONDERS HOW THE CARGO WT DECREASED IF THE CARGO DOOR WASN'T OPENED.

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.