Narrative:

Both engines started during pushback. Packs on left engine and APU air right side during taxi. Normal taxi -- approximately 5 mins to takeoff. APU air turned off just prior to takeoff to accommodate passenger -- elected to shut down APU in-flight. First officer takeoff -- maximum thrust. Advanced throttles normally and engaged autothrottles. At 80 KTS call, I saw master warning light -- verified it was tail compartment overheat light, elected to reject takeoff (approximately 90 KTS), reverse thrust/spoilers/minimum braking adequate, taxied off runway (put us about 100 yards from air carrier ramp), shut down APU as we cleared runway. Stopped aircraft, made cabin announcements. First officer read tail compartment overheat checklist. By the time we got the checklist out and started to run items, the light was out. Asked flight attendant to confirm nothing abnormal (heat/smoke) in rear -- confirmed. Due to location of ramp, we asked air carrier ground personnel to lower aft stair and also verify -- confirmed. First officer and I discussed and agreed that excessive heat was caused by combination of high ambient heat/lack of cooling air (tailwind during taxi) and APU not running during takeoff. I elected to continue flight -- uneventful flight to stl. Flight never returned to gate at abq. Notified mci and stl maintenance en route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE AFTER A REJECTED TKOF FOR A TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT WARNING WITH NO MAINT ACTION OR LOG RPT.

Narrative: BOTH ENGS STARTED DURING PUSHBACK. PACKS ON L ENG AND APU AIR R SIDE DURING TAXI. NORMAL TAXI -- APPROX 5 MINS TO TKOF. APU AIR TURNED OFF JUST PRIOR TO TKOF TO ACCOMMODATE PAX -- ELECTED TO SHUT DOWN APU INFLT. FO TKOF -- MAX THRUST. ADVANCED THROTTLES NORMALLY AND ENGAGED AUTOTHROTTLES. AT 80 KTS CALL, I SAW MASTER WARNING LIGHT -- VERIFIED IT WAS TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT LIGHT, ELECTED TO REJECT TKOF (APPROX 90 KTS), REVERSE THRUST/SPOILERS/MINIMUM BRAKING ADEQUATE, TAXIED OFF RWY (PUT US ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM ACR RAMP), SHUT DOWN APU AS WE CLRED RWY. STOPPED ACFT, MADE CABIN ANNOUNCEMENTS. FO READ TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT CHKLIST. BY THE TIME WE GOT THE CHKLIST OUT AND STARTED TO RUN ITEMS, THE LIGHT WAS OUT. ASKED FLT ATTENDANT TO CONFIRM NOTHING ABNORMAL (HEAT/SMOKE) IN REAR -- CONFIRMED. DUE TO LOCATION OF RAMP, WE ASKED ACR GND PERSONNEL TO LOWER AFT STAIR AND ALSO VERIFY -- CONFIRMED. FO AND I DISCUSSED AND AGREED THAT EXCESSIVE HEAT WAS CAUSED BY COMBINATION OF HIGH AMBIENT HEAT/LACK OF COOLING AIR (TAILWIND DURING TAXI) AND APU NOT RUNNING DURING TKOF. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLT -- UNEVENTFUL FLT TO STL. FLT NEVER RETURNED TO GATE AT ABQ. NOTIFIED MCI AND STL MAINT ENRTE.

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.