Narrative:

It was the first leg of the day and so far things had been normal. We were taxiing out for takeoff and since runway 36R/18L was closed at tpa we requested and were granted runway 9 for takeoff. Winds were calm. Since this last min runway switch considerably cut down our taxi time, the captain and I were rushed to complete the before takeoff checklist. I was further rushed because I hadn't had time to set up the radios after getting the clearance so I was busy tuning in the various frequencys. I managed to finish up with time to spare, however, and we switched to tower frequency and I called tower to tell them we would be ready at the end of the runway since ATC tends to forget aircraft not in line at the primary runway, which was runway 36L. Tower immediately cleared us for takeoff, even though we were still 200-300 ft from the end of the taxiway. I acknowledged the call and the captain and I ran through the runway checks. Turning onto the runway, we began to take off immediately. After completing my callouts early in the roll, I noticed that my headphones would emit what sounded like a thump every time the plane went over a bump in the runway. This was unacceptable since not only could I not hear all that well but my noise-canceling headset amplified these radio thumps, making it very uncomfortable for me. Our planes are old, however, and I knew the intercoms have problems, so I tried fiddling with my plug, which is located next to my right elbow. This proved no help, however. This airplane has 2 plugs for headphones on the first officer's side -- I think it is unique in our fleet -- so I switched my headphones from one plug to the other and flipped the switch. This fixed the problem but the instant I plugged into the new jack, I heard the captain acknowledging a call from tower to cancel our takeoff clearance. During this entire process, I had been constantly moving my attention from the plug problem to my duties as PNF during the takeoff. Monitoring the power for overtorque, making airspeed callouts, etc. When I heard the captain read back the tower's call, I had just fixed the problem and dedicated all my attention immediately to the situation at hand. The captain was in process of stopping the airplane with reverse thrust so I quickly scanned down the runway. And there it was. A white single engine cessna was taxiing on our runway about 2000-3000 ft downfield. I never got close enough to tell what type it was and tower said nothing about the other aircraft that I heard aside from telling us to abort. It appeared to be taxiing away from us and turned off the runway onto a taxiway moments after we aborted. Ground was probably handling him. We turned 180 degrees and back-taxied to the end. The captain said a few words to calm the passenger, then we turned another 180 degrees and departed normally. Later the captain and I discussed what had happened. He was unaware that I had been having headphone problems and thought that my missing tower's call to abort was nothing unusual. Considering the relative inexperience of first officer's at my airline, capts are very used to covering many first officer duties. He saw the cessna after I did -- despite my inattn -- because he was concentrating on the takeoff roll. To both of us, it just seemed to appear out of nowhere after tower called. In reality, there was little danger of a collision. Even though we were close to V1, a 1900 can stop very quickly. If tower hadn't called, we would have been well airborne by the time we got to the cessna.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 ABORTS TKOF WHEN TWR NOTES A SINGLE ENG CESSNA ON THEIR TKOF RWY.

Narrative: IT WAS THE FIRST LEG OF THE DAY AND SO FAR THINGS HAD BEEN NORMAL. WE WERE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AND SINCE RWY 36R/18L WAS CLOSED AT TPA WE REQUESTED AND WERE GRANTED RWY 9 FOR TKOF. WINDS WERE CALM. SINCE THIS LAST MIN RWY SWITCH CONSIDERABLY CUT DOWN OUR TAXI TIME, THE CAPT AND I WERE RUSHED TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. I WAS FURTHER RUSHED BECAUSE I HADN'T HAD TIME TO SET UP THE RADIOS AFTER GETTING THE CLRNC SO I WAS BUSY TUNING IN THE VARIOUS FREQS. I MANAGED TO FINISH UP WITH TIME TO SPARE, HOWEVER, AND WE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ AND I CALLED TWR TO TELL THEM WE WOULD BE READY AT THE END OF THE RWY SINCE ATC TENDS TO FORGET ACFT NOT IN LINE AT THE PRIMARY RWY, WHICH WAS RWY 36L. TWR IMMEDIATELY CLRED US FOR TKOF, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE STILL 200-300 FT FROM THE END OF THE TXWY. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL AND THE CAPT AND I RAN THROUGH THE RWY CHKS. TURNING ONTO THE RWY, WE BEGAN TO TAKE OFF IMMEDIATELY. AFTER COMPLETING MY CALLOUTS EARLY IN THE ROLL, I NOTICED THAT MY HEADPHONES WOULD EMIT WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A THUMP EVERY TIME THE PLANE WENT OVER A BUMP IN THE RWY. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE SINCE NOT ONLY COULD I NOT HEAR ALL THAT WELL BUT MY NOISE-CANCELING HEADSET AMPLIFIED THESE RADIO THUMPS, MAKING IT VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME. OUR PLANES ARE OLD, HOWEVER, AND I KNEW THE INTERCOMS HAVE PROBS, SO I TRIED FIDDLING WITH MY PLUG, WHICH IS LOCATED NEXT TO MY R ELBOW. THIS PROVED NO HELP, HOWEVER. THIS AIRPLANE HAS 2 PLUGS FOR HEADPHONES ON THE FO'S SIDE -- I THINK IT IS UNIQUE IN OUR FLEET -- SO I SWITCHED MY HEADPHONES FROM ONE PLUG TO THE OTHER AND FLIPPED THE SWITCH. THIS FIXED THE PROB BUT THE INSTANT I PLUGGED INTO THE NEW JACK, I HEARD THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGING A CALL FROM TWR TO CANCEL OUR TKOF CLRNC. DURING THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, I HAD BEEN CONSTANTLY MOVING MY ATTN FROM THE PLUG PROB TO MY DUTIES AS PNF DURING THE TKOF. MONITORING THE PWR FOR OVERTORQUE, MAKING AIRSPD CALLOUTS, ETC. WHEN I HEARD THE CAPT READ BACK THE TWR'S CALL, I HAD JUST FIXED THE PROB AND DEDICATED ALL MY ATTN IMMEDIATELY TO THE SIT AT HAND. THE CAPT WAS IN PROCESS OF STOPPING THE AIRPLANE WITH REVERSE THRUST SO I QUICKLY SCANNED DOWN THE RWY. AND THERE IT WAS. A WHITE SINGLE ENG CESSNA WAS TAXIING ON OUR RWY ABOUT 2000-3000 FT DOWNFIELD. I NEVER GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO TELL WHAT TYPE IT WAS AND TWR SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT THAT I HEARD ASIDE FROM TELLING US TO ABORT. IT APPEARED TO BE TAXIING AWAY FROM US AND TURNED OFF THE RWY ONTO A TXWY MOMENTS AFTER WE ABORTED. GND WAS PROBABLY HANDLING HIM. WE TURNED 180 DEGS AND BACK-TAXIED TO THE END. THE CAPT SAID A FEW WORDS TO CALM THE PAX, THEN WE TURNED ANOTHER 180 DEGS AND DEPARTED NORMALLY. LATER THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD BEEN HAVING HEADPHONE PROBS AND THOUGHT THAT MY MISSING TWR'S CALL TO ABORT WAS NOTHING UNUSUAL. CONSIDERING THE RELATIVE INEXPERIENCE OF FO'S AT MY AIRLINE, CAPTS ARE VERY USED TO COVERING MANY FO DUTIES. HE SAW THE CESSNA AFTER I DID -- DESPITE MY INATTN -- BECAUSE HE WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE TKOF ROLL. TO BOTH OF US, IT JUST SEEMED TO APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE AFTER TWR CALLED. IN REALITY, THERE WAS LITTLE DANGER OF A COLLISION. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE CLOSE TO V1, A 1900 CAN STOP VERY QUICKLY. IF TWR HADN'T CALLED, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL AIRBORNE BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE CESSNA.

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.