Narrative:

Flight xyz departed lga ramp on time at XA00. After about a 20 min taxi to runway 31, we were cleared for takeoff. During initial thrust increase, we received 'confign stabilizer' warning message accompanied with 'confign trim' aural warning. I quickly retarded the thrust levers and performed a rejected takeoff while the first officer notified ATC. He also told them the aborted takeoff was due to a confign warning. We taxied clear of the runway and stopped on a parallel taxiway, in accordance with ATC. While the first officer was retrieving the QRH, I made a brief announcement to the passenger explaining that we had to abort the takeoff due to a confign warning. I told them we were going to check out the problem and then let them know if we would have to return to the gate or not. After consulting the QRH, we confirmed that all trims were set for takeoff and that they were all in green ranges. We also noted that with the parking brake off, we also had present 'takeoff confign ok' advisory message. We checked all circuit breakers and they were all in their normal position. We returned to the gate in order to contact maintenance. After speaking with maintenance, passenger were deplaned and after contract maintenance looked at the problem for 1 1/2 hours, the flight was canceled. Subsequently, air carrier maintenance wanted us to ferry this aircraft to where maintenance could be performed. As captain I refused to do so, explaining that I felt that the aircraft was not airworthy because there was obviously a problem with a primary flight control system and that I did not agree with taking off with confign warnings present. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated early in the day the stabilizer trim channels displayed intermittent operation where one or both would drop off. The reporter said the aircraft was OTS for 2 days and the company management was upset due to the crew refusal to maintenance ferry the aircraft without repair. The reporter stated the fix was reported to be the stabilizer trim position sensors either replaced or adjusted. The reporter said prior to the rejected takeoff, one trim channel would not engage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 REJECTED THE TKOF WHEN ON THRUST APPLICATION THE CREW EXPERIENCED THE TKOF WARNING HORN CAUSED BY STABILIZER POS SENSING MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: FLT XYZ DEPARTED LGA RAMP ON TIME AT XA00. AFTER ABOUT A 20 MIN TAXI TO RWY 31, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. DURING INITIAL THRUST INCREASE, WE RECEIVED 'CONFIGN STABILIZER' WARNING MESSAGE ACCOMPANIED WITH 'CONFIGN TRIM' AURAL WARNING. I QUICKLY RETARDED THE THRUST LEVERS AND PERFORMED A REJECTED TKOF WHILE THE FO NOTIFIED ATC. HE ALSO TOLD THEM THE ABORTED TKOF WAS DUE TO A CONFIGN WARNING. WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND STOPPED ON A PARALLEL TXWY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ATC. WHILE THE FO WAS RETRIEVING THE QRH, I MADE A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX EXPLAINING THAT WE HAD TO ABORT THE TKOF DUE TO A CONFIGN WARNING. I TOLD THEM WE WERE GOING TO CHK OUT THE PROB AND THEN LET THEM KNOW IF WE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO THE GATE OR NOT. AFTER CONSULTING THE QRH, WE CONFIRMED THAT ALL TRIMS WERE SET FOR TKOF AND THAT THEY WERE ALL IN GREEN RANGES. WE ALSO NOTED THAT WITH THE PARKING BRAKE OFF, WE ALSO HAD PRESENT 'TKOF CONFIGN OK' ADVISORY MESSAGE. WE CHKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND THEY WERE ALL IN THEIR NORMAL POS. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE IN ORDER TO CONTACT MAINT. AFTER SPEAKING WITH MAINT, PAX WERE DEPLANED AND AFTER CONTRACT MAINT LOOKED AT THE PROB FOR 1 1/2 HRS, THE FLT WAS CANCELED. SUBSEQUENTLY, ACR MAINT WANTED US TO FERRY THIS ACFT TO WHERE MAINT COULD BE PERFORMED. AS CAPT I REFUSED TO DO SO, EXPLAINING THAT I FELT THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY BECAUSE THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A PROB WITH A PRIMARY FLT CTL SYS AND THAT I DID NOT AGREE WITH TAKING OFF WITH CONFIGN WARNINGS PRESENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED EARLY IN THE DAY THE STABILIZER TRIM CHANNELS DISPLAYED INTERMITTENT OP WHERE ONE OR BOTH WOULD DROP OFF. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS OTS FOR 2 DAYS AND THE COMPANY MGMNT WAS UPSET DUE TO THE CREW REFUSAL TO MAINT FERRY THE ACFT WITHOUT REPAIR. THE RPTR STATED THE FIX WAS RPTED TO BE THE STABILIZER TRIM POS SENSORS EITHER REPLACED OR ADJUSTED. THE RPTR SAID PRIOR TO THE REJECTED TKOF, ONE TRIM CHANNEL WOULD NOT ENGAGE.

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.