Narrative:

We were cleared to take off. An air carrier flight was holding short at the next intersection down the runway. As we were lining up on the runway; the raas pointlessly announced 'entering runway xxl' closely followed by 'on runway xxl;' at exactly the same time that tower called; 'air carrier xyz (unintelligible due to raas).' background: air carrier had been #1 for takeoff but didn't have their weight data. Tower was concerned with making their takeoff void time. They cleared us for takeoff after telling the air carrier that they had 1.5 mins to void time. Point 1: we knew all this because up to that point raas hadn't yet interfered with communications. Point 2: we knew that tower was in a sweat to get air carrier off the ground before the void time. Point 3: as our engines were spooling up and we heard tower start to address air carrier (holding short at an intersection down the runway from us); I really wanted to make sure that tower wasn't clearing air carrier onto the runway (for position and hold or takeoff); but the raas announcement prevented us from hearing and understanding tower's communication to air carrier. All we could do was continue with our roll and watch air carrier very closely for any sign of movement. Point 4: this significant threat to our takeoff was entirely to this 'safety' system which is itself a far greater hazard than any potential benefit it offers. 1) immediately remove raas from our aircraft. 2) do not reinstall without an inhibit switch that will allow the flight crew to use it or not use it as appropriate; in their judgement; for the flight conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPTAIN REPORTS DISTRACTIONS CAUSED BY RAAS ANNOUNCEMENTS COVERING ATC TRANSMISSIONS DURING POTENTIAL RUNWAY INCURSION RISK FROM ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AWAITING A TAKEOFF CLEARANCE.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAKE OFF. AN ACR FLT WAS HOLDING SHORT AT THE NEXT INTXN DOWN THE RWY. AS WE WERE LINING UP ON THE RWY; THE RAAS POINTLESSLY ANNOUNCED 'ENTERING RWY XXL' CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY 'ON RWY XXL;' AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME THAT TWR CALLED; 'ACR XYZ (UNINTELLIGIBLE DUE TO RAAS).' BACKGROUND: ACR HAD BEEN #1 FOR TKOF BUT DIDN'T HAVE THEIR WT DATA. TWR WAS CONCERNED WITH MAKING THEIR TKOF VOID TIME. THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF AFTER TELLING THE ACR THAT THEY HAD 1.5 MINS TO VOID TIME. POINT 1: WE KNEW ALL THIS BECAUSE UP TO THAT POINT RAAS HADN'T YET INTERFERED WITH COMS. POINT 2: WE KNEW THAT TWR WAS IN A SWEAT TO GET ACR OFF THE GND BEFORE THE VOID TIME. POINT 3: AS OUR ENGS WERE SPOOLING UP AND WE HEARD TWR START TO ADDRESS ACR (HOLDING SHORT AT AN INTXN DOWN THE RWY FROM US); I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT TWR WASN'T CLRING ACR ONTO THE RWY (FOR POS AND HOLD OR TKOF); BUT THE RAAS ANNOUNCEMENT PREVENTED US FROM HEARING AND UNDERSTANDING TWR'S COM TO ACR. ALL WE COULD DO WAS CONTINUE WITH OUR ROLL AND WATCH ACR VERY CLOSELY FOR ANY SIGN OF MOVEMENT. POINT 4: THIS SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO OUR TKOF WAS ENTIRELY TO THIS 'SAFETY' SYS WHICH IS ITSELF A FAR GREATER HAZARD THAN ANY POTENTIAL BENEFIT IT OFFERS. 1) IMMEDIATELY REMOVE RAAS FROM OUR ACFT. 2) DO NOT REINSTALL WITHOUT AN INHIBIT SWITCH THAT WILL ALLOW THE FLT CREW TO USE IT OR NOT USE IT AS APPROPRIATE; IN THEIR JUDGEMENT; FOR THE FLT CONDITIONS.

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.