Flight attendant report regarding an MD11 on takeoff roll which seemed to be going over speed bumps and the flight attendants knew something was wrong. The flight crew did too. The takeoff was aborted.

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Attributes
ACN	429630
Time
Date	199901
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 14 flight attendant time total : 5 flight attendant time type : 4
ASRS Report	429630
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : cab
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Very normal until 7-10 seconds down the runway on takeoff it felt like we ran over a speed bump. Actually we had lost power very briefly. We all noticed the first 'speed bump' and then we felt another quite soon after the first. I was grabbing my jump seat and remember saying aloud 'abort already' as at that point we all knew it was not at all a normal takeoff. As soon as I said those words, it was as if the cockpit had heard me and they braked hard and aborted. We went back to the gate without incident. We canceled the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the flight was canceled as there was no other aircraft available. She does not know what the problem was, but said that there seems to be many problems with the MD11's used for the overseas flts. It is very difficult when such a long flight is canceled as the flight attendants have to scramble to make up the hours lost.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN MD11 ON TKOF ROLL WHICH SEEMED TO BE GOING OVER SPD BUMPS AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE FLC DID TOO. THE TKOF WAS ABORTED.

Narrative: VERY NORMAL UNTIL 7-10 SECONDS DOWN THE RWY ON TKOF IT FELT LIKE WE RAN OVER A SPD BUMP. ACTUALLY WE HAD LOST PWR VERY BRIEFLY. WE ALL NOTICED THE FIRST 'SPD BUMP' AND THEN WE FELT ANOTHER QUITE SOON AFTER THE FIRST. I WAS GRABBING MY JUMP SEAT AND REMEMBER SAYING ALOUD 'ABORT ALREADY' AS AT THAT POINT WE ALL KNEW IT WAS NOT AT ALL A NORMAL TKOF. AS SOON AS I SAID THOSE WORDS, IT WAS AS IF THE COCKPIT HAD HEARD ME AND THEY BRAKED HARD AND ABORTED. WE WENT BACK TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE CANCELED THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FLT WAS CANCELED AS THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT AVAILABLE. SHE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROB WAS, BUT SAID THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE MANY PROBS WITH THE MD11'S USED FOR THE OVERSEAS FLTS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN SUCH A LONG FLT IS CANCELED AS THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE TO SCRAMBLE TO MAKE UP THE HRS LOST.

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.