Narrative:

When the power levers were advanced for takeoff, the takeoff confign warning sounded. We aborted the takeoff and confirmed that the aircraft was indeed in the proper confign. All controls and switches were nominal. We coordinated fully between cockpit and cabin crew and company operations. The captain briefed the passenger. Contract maintenance tested the system and found no anomalies. The flight departed uneventfully. The emb-120 has a history of these 'phantom confign warnings' which creates an atmosphere of distrust among veteran pilots. We are obligated to treat these warnings as genuine and on this day the abort was at the very initiation of the takeoff roll. I have personally experienced this problem on a few previous takeoffs. Thanks to good training and a good CRM environment, the crew handled this situation smoothly. Because of the negative behavioral conditioning, I believe that most, if not all, brazilia (EMB120) capts would opt to continue the takeoff with this warning in all but the low speed regime. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is one of his airlines union safety representatives, indicates that this is a recurring item for this aircraft. He has had two to three of the incidents each year in the three years he has been flying this aircraft. He includes the possibility of the false warning in his before takeoff briefing and is concerned about the development of complacency among the crews when presented with too many false warnings. When reviewing the incident with his manager he was told that they are common and that the pilots handle them well. There was no indication that his company plans any corrective action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB-120 PLT REJECTS TKOF ON ACCOUNT OF CONFIGN WARNING THAT WAS FOUND TO BE FALSE.

Narrative: WHEN THE PWR LEVERS WERE ADVANCED FOR TKOF, THE TKOF CONFIGN WARNING SOUNDED. WE ABORTED THE TKOF AND CONFIRMED THAT THE ACFT WAS INDEED IN THE PROPER CONFIGN. ALL CTLS AND SWITCHES WERE NOMINAL. WE COORDINATED FULLY BETWEEN COCKPIT AND CABIN CREW AND COMPANY OPS. THE CAPT BRIEFED THE PAX. CONTRACT MAINT TESTED THE SYS AND FOUND NO ANOMALIES. THE FLT DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY. THE EMB-120 HAS A HISTORY OF THESE 'PHANTOM CONFIGN WARNINGS' WHICH CREATES AN ATMOSPHERE OF DISTRUST AMONG VETERAN PLTS. WE ARE OBLIGATED TO TREAT THESE WARNINGS AS GENUINE AND ON THIS DAY THE ABORT WAS AT THE VERY INITIATION OF THE TKOF ROLL. I HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THIS PROB ON A FEW PREVIOUS TKOFS. THANKS TO GOOD TRAINING AND A GOOD CRM ENVIRONMENT, THE CREW HANDLED THIS SIT SMOOTHLY. BECAUSE OF THE NEGATIVE BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONING, I BELIEVE THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL, BRAZILIA (EMB120) CAPTS WOULD OPT TO CONTINUE THE TKOF WITH THIS WARNING IN ALL BUT THE LOW SPEED REGIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS ONE OF HIS AIRLINES UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES, INDICATES THAT THIS IS A RECURRING ITEM FOR THIS ACFT. HE HAS HAD TWO TO THREE OF THE INCIDENTS EACH YEAR IN THE THREE YEARS HE HAS BEEN FLYING THIS ACFT. HE INCLUDES THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FALSE WARNING IN HIS BEFORE TKOF BRIEFING AND IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLACENCY AMONG THE CREWS WHEN PRESENTED WITH TOO MANY FALSE WARNINGS. WHEN REVIEWING THE INCIDENT WITH HIS MANAGER HE WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE COMMON AND THAT THE PLTS HANDLE THEM WELL. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT HIS COMPANY PLANS ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION.

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.