Narrative:

I was in the aog department doing a confign call with the station supervisor concerning aog parts for aircraft X in station. After completing that call; I returned to my assigned desk; handling the region. At that time I was advised by another controller that aircraft X took the active runway and had a takeoff confign flaps warning indication. They taxied off the active; cycled the flaps; and the message cleared. At that time the crew went back to the active and proceeded to take off. I immediately attempted to stop the flight by speaking to operations coordinator. He was unable to hold the flight from departing. I was made aware of the abort at XA05 and the flight was off at XA07. SOP dictates that if an aircraft takes the active runway and doesn't complete a takeoff; it is considered an abort in the broadest sense of the word. I immediately attempted to have the flight stopped and have the crew return to the gate. However; the cockpit was sterile and the flight departed. The controller who spoke to the crew did not consider this an aborted takeoff since they never began a takeoff roll. Provide maintenance control a clear and definitive definition of what constitutes an aborted takeoff. Additionally; the crew needs to be reminded that they are required to return to the gate for mechanical problems that cannot be corrected by MEL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB-135LR (ERJ-135LR) TOOK THE ACTIVE RUNWAY AND HAD A TAKEOFF CONFIGURATION FLAPS WARNING INDICATION. CREW TAXIED OFF ACTIVE; CYCLED FLAPS; MESSAGE CLEARED; ACFT DEPARTED. MAINT CONTROLLER BELIEVES ACFT SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO GATE.

Narrative: I WAS IN THE AOG DEPT DOING A CONFIGN CALL WITH THE STATION SUPVR CONCERNING AOG PARTS FOR ACFT X IN STATION. AFTER COMPLETING THAT CALL; I RETURNED TO MY ASSIGNED DESK; HANDLING THE REGION. AT THAT TIME I WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER CTLR THAT ACFT X TOOK THE ACTIVE RWY AND HAD A TKOF CONFIGN FLAPS WARNING INDICATION. THEY TAXIED OFF THE ACTIVE; CYCLED THE FLAPS; AND THE MESSAGE CLRED. AT THAT TIME THE CREW WENT BACK TO THE ACTIVE AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE FLT BY SPEAKING TO OPS COORDINATOR. HE WAS UNABLE TO HOLD THE FLT FROM DEPARTING. I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ABORT AT XA05 AND THE FLT WAS OFF AT XA07. SOP DICTATES THAT IF AN ACFT TAKES THE ACTIVE RWY AND DOESN'T COMPLETE A TKOF; IT IS CONSIDERED AN ABORT IN THE BROADEST SENSE OF THE WORD. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE FLT STOPPED AND HAVE THE CREW RETURN TO THE GATE. HOWEVER; THE COCKPIT WAS STERILE AND THE FLT DEPARTED. THE CTLR WHO SPOKE TO THE CREW DID NOT CONSIDER THIS AN ABORTED TKOF SINCE THEY NEVER BEGAN A TKOF ROLL. PROVIDE MAINT CTL A CLR AND DEFINITIVE DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ABORTED TKOF. ADDITIONALLY; THE CREW NEEDS TO BE REMINDED THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR MECHANICAL PROBS THAT CANNOT BE CORRECTED BY MEL.

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.