Narrative:

Predep from gate went as normal. The only thing that stood out to me was a 'T05' fuel load. On taxi; the tower reported a wind that gave a slight quartering tailwind so maximum power was used. Shortly after being given position and hold; we were cleared for takeoff with a south turn after departure. I brought the power up to approximately 1.4 EPR. The right engine was a little slow to match the left engine but from that point to takeoff power; the engines advanced normally. On takeoff roll; the copilot called out the speed check (I thought it was 80 KTS; but in talking to him afterwards he said it was closer to 100 KTS) followed shortly thereafter by a forward cargo door light. I made the decision to continue the takeoff. The copilot called V1 and I started to put in a little back pressure just to start to get a feel for the aircraft. The nose felt very heavy and gave no indication of coming unstuck. I released the pressure to allow the aircraft to accelerate further and believing to be beyond vr at that point I tried to rotate. The nose of the aircraft did not respond; so I rejected the takeoff in the belief that it was questionable whether the aircraft would fly. The abort went smoothly and we returned to the gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that this event was the result of his perception of the first officer's cargo door light callout. He was expecting to hear a V1 callout and when the first officer made a call at 100 KTS that the cargo door light was on; he interpreted it as the V1 call and so rotated shortly after 100 KTS. When the V1 call was made the aircraft was already rotated toward a takeoff attitude but was not flying. Sensing an unflyable aircraft with a cargo door problem; he rejected. The cargo door light warning was the result of a faulty switch. Supplemental information from acn 786603: on takeoff roll; with light quartering tailwind; the forward cargo door light illuminated after 100 KTS. I announced the light to the captain and he said continue. Approaching V1 he said the nose isn't coming up. I looked over and observed he had the yoke back in his lap and I looked out front to confirm no change in attitude. He reattempted and elected to abort. The abort was smooth and uneventful. The forward cargo door light extinguished during the abort. We exited on the high speed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT MISTOOK A CARGO DOOR WARNING LIGHT CALL ON TKOF AS A V1 KT CALL AND ROTATED EARLY. A REJECT FOLLOWED BECAUSE THE ACFT DID NOT FLY BELOW V1.

Narrative: PREDEP FROM GATE WENT AS NORMAL. THE ONLY THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS A 'T05' FUEL LOAD. ON TAXI; THE TWR RPTED A WIND THAT GAVE A SLIGHT QUARTERING TAILWIND SO MAX PWR WAS USED. SHORTLY AFTER BEING GIVEN POS AND HOLD; WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF WITH A S TURN AFTER DEP. I BROUGHT THE PWR UP TO APPROX 1.4 EPR. THE R ENG WAS A LITTLE SLOW TO MATCH THE L ENG BUT FROM THAT POINT TO TKOF PWR; THE ENGS ADVANCED NORMALLY. ON TKOF ROLL; THE COPLT CALLED OUT THE SPD CHK (I THOUGHT IT WAS 80 KTS; BUT IN TALKING TO HIM AFTERWARDS HE SAID IT WAS CLOSER TO 100 KTS) FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY A FORWARD CARGO DOOR LIGHT. I MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. THE COPLT CALLED V1 AND I STARTED TO PUT IN A LITTLE BACK PRESSURE JUST TO START TO GET A FEEL FOR THE ACFT. THE NOSE FELT VERY HVY AND GAVE NO INDICATION OF COMING UNSTUCK. I RELEASED THE PRESSURE TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO ACCELERATE FURTHER AND BELIEVING TO BE BEYOND VR AT THAT POINT I TRIED TO ROTATE. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT DID NOT RESPOND; SO I REJECTED THE TKOF IN THE BELIEF THAT IT WAS QUESTIONABLE WHETHER THE ACFT WOULD FLY. THE ABORT WENT SMOOTHLY AND WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THIS EVENT WAS THE RESULT OF HIS PERCEPTION OF THE FO'S CARGO DOOR LIGHT CALLOUT. HE WAS EXPECTING TO HEAR A V1 CALLOUT AND WHEN THE FO MADE A CALL AT 100 KTS THAT THE CARGO DOOR LIGHT WAS ON; HE INTERPRETED IT AS THE V1 CALL AND SO ROTATED SHORTLY AFTER 100 KTS. WHEN THE V1 CALL WAS MADE THE ACFT WAS ALREADY ROTATED TOWARD A TKOF ATTITUDE BUT WAS NOT FLYING. SENSING AN UNFLYABLE ACFT WITH A CARGO DOOR PROBLEM; HE REJECTED. THE CARGO DOOR LIGHT WARNING WAS THE RESULT OF A FAULTY SWITCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 786603: ON TKOF ROLL; WITH LIGHT QUARTERING TAILWIND; THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER 100 KTS. I ANNOUNCED THE LIGHT TO THE CAPT AND HE SAID CONTINUE. APCHING V1 HE SAID THE NOSE ISN'T COMING UP. I LOOKED OVER AND OBSERVED HE HAD THE YOKE BACK IN HIS LAP AND I LOOKED OUT FRONT TO CONFIRM NO CHANGE IN ATTITUDE. HE REATTEMPTED AND ELECTED TO ABORT. THE ABORT WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL. THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR LIGHT EXTINGUISHED DURING THE ABORT. WE EXITED ON THE HIGH SPD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.