Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff on runway 4L at ewr. It was the captain's leg and he advanced the power for takeoff. The takeoff confign horn sounded and we aborted the takeoff at less than 60 KTS airspeed. Upon clearing the runway and completing the appropriate checklists we found the flaps to be in the full 'up' position. We set the flaps, ran all checklists and made a normal takeoff. I have no doubt as to where the chain started. It was just after pushback from the gate. At the point the captain should call for 'flaps 5 degrees, taxi clearance,' ramp control calls us and gives us instructions to reposition the aircraft about 100 yards from our present position. The captain and I clear the area and he starts the aircraft moving, without the flaps 5 degree call. There was a lot of traffic and our attention was outside the aircraft. Before the aircraft came to a stop at our new position, once again ramp called us and instructed us to call ground and that's what we did. Ground gave us fairly complicated taxi instructions with a hold short. Our taxi instructions changed twice with hold shorts, etc, once again lots of airplanes and we visually stayed outside the aircraft. I was backing up the captain with the airport diagram. We ended up having a 35 min taxi. I feel that with all the radio calls, etc. The taxi check got interrupted and somehow we both missed the flaps. I remember picking up the checklist and looking at the taxi check and thinking 'it's been a long time since I've done this.' at that point I scanned the cockpit to make sure it was done. Everything was normal. If I had just said something to the captain or redone the taxi check, the chain would have been broken. When I scanned the cockpit I should have noticed it then. (Bad scan) we were too busy at first. We should have slowed down and been very careful to check everything once things slowed down. A lesson learned, if in doubt run the checklist again. Sometimes it's best to think out loud. This would have brought the captain back to the checklist and maybe he would have noticed the flaps. Supplemental information from acn 486760: we should guard against thinking ahead to schedule short layover, and late night arrs and concentrate even more on the task at hand.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG CREW ABORTED TKOF AFTER GETTING A TKOF WARNING HORN AT EWR.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 4L AT EWR. IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG AND HE ADVANCED THE PWR FOR TKOF. THE TKOF CONFIGN HORN SOUNDED AND WE ABORTED THE TKOF AT LESS THAN 60 KTS AIRSPD. UPON CLRING THE RWY AND COMPLETING THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WE FOUND THE FLAPS TO BE IN THE FULL 'UP' POS. WE SET THE FLAPS, RAN ALL CHKLISTS AND MADE A NORMAL TKOF. I HAVE NO DOUBT AS TO WHERE THE CHAIN STARTED. IT WAS JUST AFTER PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE. AT THE POINT THE CAPT SHOULD CALL FOR 'FLAPS 5 DEGS, TAXI CLRNC,' RAMP CTL CALLS US AND GIVES US INSTRUCTIONS TO REPOSITION THE ACFT ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM OUR PRESENT POS. THE CAPT AND I CLR THE AREA AND HE STARTS THE ACFT MOVING, WITHOUT THE FLAPS 5 DEG CALL. THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC AND OUR ATTN WAS OUTSIDE THE ACFT. BEFORE THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP AT OUR NEW POS, ONCE AGAIN RAMP CALLED US AND INSTRUCTED US TO CALL GND AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID. GND GAVE US FAIRLY COMPLICATED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH A HOLD SHORT. OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS CHANGED TWICE WITH HOLD SHORTS, ETC, ONCE AGAIN LOTS OF AIRPLANES AND WE VISUALLY STAYED OUTSIDE THE ACFT. I WAS BACKING UP THE CAPT WITH THE ARPT DIAGRAM. WE ENDED UP HAVING A 35 MIN TAXI. I FEEL THAT WITH ALL THE RADIO CALLS, ETC. THE TAXI CHK GOT INTERRUPTED AND SOMEHOW WE BOTH MISSED THE FLAPS. I REMEMBER PICKING UP THE CHKLIST AND LOOKING AT THE TAXI CHK AND THINKING 'IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE DONE THIS.' AT THAT POINT I SCANNED THE COCKPIT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS DONE. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. IF I HAD JUST SAID SOMETHING TO THE CAPT OR REDONE THE TAXI CHK, THE CHAIN WOULD HAVE BEEN BROKEN. WHEN I SCANNED THE COCKPIT I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED IT THEN. (BAD SCAN) WE WERE TOO BUSY AT FIRST. WE SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN AND BEEN VERY CAREFUL TO CHK EVERYTHING ONCE THINGS SLOWED DOWN. A LESSON LEARNED, IF IN DOUBT RUN THE CHKLIST AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT'S BEST TO THINK OUT LOUD. THIS WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE CAPT BACK TO THE CHKLIST AND MAYBE HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE FLAPS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 486760: WE SHOULD GUARD AGAINST THINKING AHEAD TO SCHEDULE SHORT LAYOVER, AND LATE NIGHT ARRS AND CONCENTRATE EVEN MORE ON THE TASK AT HAND.

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.