Narrative:

When thrust levers were advanced for takeoff power; we became aware that the gust lock was not full forward; but stuck in the 2 O'clock position. The gust lock was deferred; and the controls had full deflected movement in all possible combinations of pitch and roll. We saw a maintenance technician and had him take a look at the gust lock and he confirmed that the elevator was free. The freedom of movement in the controls was our biggest concern at the time; and we proceeded with all our normal procedures until the thrust levers had to be advanced to the forward detent for takeoff. We obviously had to abort the takeoff and returned to the gate. We then had another maintenance technician come and fixed the problem. The position of the gust lock we believed was the reason for the deferral; and we obviously now are aware that a little more scrutiny would have caught this problem at the gate and have the gust lock fully forward. Unfortunately; the maintenance technician saying the gust lock checked out ok; allowed us to prematurely stop and say everything is fine when it wasn't. I placed a styrofoam cup over the gust lock lever so I would remember not to lock the gust lock.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 MEL'ED GUST LOCK UNLOCKED THE FLT CTLS BUT NOT THE THRUST LEVERS. THE TKOF WAS ABORTED FOR LACK OF THROTTLE MOVEMENT TO THE TKOF POSITION.

Narrative: WHEN THRUST LEVERS WERE ADVANCED FOR TKOF PWR; WE BECAME AWARE THAT THE GUST LOCK WAS NOT FULL FORWARD; BUT STUCK IN THE 2 O'CLOCK POS. THE GUST LOCK WAS DEFERRED; AND THE CTLS HAD FULL DEFLECTED MOVEMENT IN ALL POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS OF PITCH AND ROLL. WE SAW A MAINT TECHNICIAN AND HAD HIM TAKE A LOOK AT THE GUST LOCK AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS FREE. THE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN THE CTLS WAS OUR BIGGEST CONCERN AT THE TIME; AND WE PROCEEDED WITH ALL OUR NORMAL PROCS UNTIL THE THRUST LEVERS HAD TO BE ADVANCED TO THE FORWARD DETENT FOR TKOF. WE OBVIOUSLY HAD TO ABORT THE TKOF AND RETURNED TO THE GATE. WE THEN HAD ANOTHER MAINT TECHNICIAN COME AND FIXED THE PROB. THE POS OF THE GUST LOCK WE BELIEVED WAS THE REASON FOR THE DEFERRAL; AND WE OBVIOUSLY NOW ARE AWARE THAT A LITTLE MORE SCRUTINY WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS PROB AT THE GATE AND HAVE THE GUST LOCK FULLY FORWARD. UNFORTUNATELY; THE MAINT TECHNICIAN SAYING THE GUST LOCK CHKED OUT OK; ALLOWED US TO PREMATURELY STOP AND SAY EVERYTHING IS FINE WHEN IT WASN'T. I PLACED A STYROFOAM CUP OVER THE GUST LOCK LEVER SO I WOULD REMEMBER NOT TO LOCK THE GUST LOCK.

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.