Narrative:

I was the captain of the flight. All operations were normal until the takeoff. The takeoff clearance was issued using the following terminology; 'air carrier X is cleared to line up and take off.' the aircraft operated normally during the takeoff. The tower then issued the following clearance; 'air carrier X; hold your position.' momentarily thereafter; the tower repeated the clearance in a noticeably more urgent tone; 'air carrier X; hold your position.' the takeoff was aborted with a maximum speed obtained of approximately 125 KTS. Due to the length of the runway; maximum braking was only momentary as applied by the automatic rejected takeoff feature and the remainder of the rollout was quite gentle. The aircraft was brought clear of the runway. Appropriate ATC and cabin coordination and checklist procedures were accomplished. Maintenance was summoned and responded rapidly for brake inspection. They indicated that temperatures were similar to those found after a normal landing. Subsequently; the aircraft was taxied to a gate. Appropriate maintenance inspections and refueling were accomplished. The flight continued without further event. The controller's terminology presumably intended to cancel the takeoff clearance was nonstandard. The repeated clearance and the urgency of the tone; however; communicated his message unmistakably. Cancellation of a takeoff clearance significantly into the takeoff roll is highly unusual. The tone of delivery was also uncommon. The clear implication was that continuation of the takeoff would be unsafe in some way known to the controller. This; coupled with the generous amount of runway remaining indicated an abort as the safest course of action and in accordance with air carrier abort guidance. The crew was not informed as to why the takeoff clearance was canceled. There was an aircraft clearing a parallel runway and perhaps the controller had some concerns regarding that aircraft. This; however; is just crew speculation. Perhaps the controller was aware of some other unsafe condition at or near the airport. At any rate; the crew was not informed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON STANDARD ATCT PHRASEOLOGY RESULTS IN ABORTED TKOF AT GRU.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF THE FLT. ALL OPS WERE NORMAL UNTIL THE TKOF. THE TKOF CLRNC WAS ISSUED USING THE FOLLOWING TERMINOLOGY; 'ACR X IS CLRED TO LINE UP AND TAKE OFF.' THE ACFT OPERATED NORMALLY DURING THE TKOF. THE TWR THEN ISSUED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC; 'ACR X; HOLD YOUR POS.' MOMENTARILY THEREAFTER; THE TWR REPEATED THE CLRNC IN A NOTICEABLY MORE URGENT TONE; 'ACR X; HOLD YOUR POS.' THE TKOF WAS ABORTED WITH A MAX SPD OBTAINED OF APPROX 125 KTS. DUE TO THE LENGTH OF THE RWY; MAX BRAKING WAS ONLY MOMENTARY AS APPLIED BY THE AUTOMATIC REJECTED TKOF FEATURE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE ROLLOUT WAS QUITE GENTLE. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT CLR OF THE RWY. APPROPRIATE ATC AND CABIN COORD AND CHKLIST PROCS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. MAINT WAS SUMMONED AND RESPONDED RAPIDLY FOR BRAKE INSPECTION. THEY INDICATED THAT TEMPS WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE FOUND AFTER A NORMAL LNDG. SUBSEQUENTLY; THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO A GATE. APPROPRIATE MAINT INSPECTIONS AND REFUELING WERE ACCOMPLISHED. THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. THE CTLR'S TERMINOLOGY PRESUMABLY INTENDED TO CANCEL THE TKOF CLRNC WAS NONSTANDARD. THE REPEATED CLRNC AND THE URGENCY OF THE TONE; HOWEVER; COMMUNICATED HIS MESSAGE UNMISTAKABLY. CANCELLATION OF A TKOF CLRNC SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THE TKOF ROLL IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL. THE TONE OF DELIVERY WAS ALSO UNCOMMON. THE CLR IMPLICATION WAS THAT CONTINUATION OF THE TKOF WOULD BE UNSAFE IN SOME WAY KNOWN TO THE CTLR. THIS; COUPLED WITH THE GENEROUS AMOUNT OF RWY REMAINING INDICATED AN ABORT AS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACR ABORT GUIDANCE. THE CREW WAS NOT INFORMED AS TO WHY THE TKOF CLRNC WAS CANCELED. THERE WAS AN ACFT CLRING A PARALLEL RWY AND PERHAPS THE CTLR HAD SOME CONCERNS REGARDING THAT ACFT. THIS; HOWEVER; IS JUST CREW SPECULATION. PERHAPS THE CTLR WAS AWARE OF SOME OTHER UNSAFE CONDITION AT OR NEAR THE ARPT. AT ANY RATE; THE CREW WAS NOT INFORMED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.