The long list of possible anomalies contributing to unanticipated performance during a takeoff ground run includes engine rollback, stuck brakes, underinflated tires, an unexpected wind vector, non-standard configuration, a contaminated runway, improperly serviced strut oleos, and a host of others, but most cases are just the consequence of pilot input of erroneous data, the decision to take off from an intersection or the selection of the wrong runway entirely.
Regulators and aircraft manufacturers have addressed the issue with technology and more robust procedures, but incidents continue. Why?
What plagues our approach is its philosophy of preemption. Every mitigation measure to date is a variation on the theme of applying a more elaborate system of interlayered checks, in the hope that someone (or something) somewhere will discover inconsistencies in the flow of events leading up to takeoff. The centroid of this approach hinges on the proper practice of cockpit crew coordinati…
