Aborted Takeoff of LASER MD81 at Maiquetía (YV480T)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On December 21, 2022, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 (MD81) with registration YV480T and serial number 53043, operated by Línea Aérea de Servicio Ejecutivo Regional C.A. (LASER), was conducting commercial flight LER906. The aircraft departed from the Simón Bolívar International Airport (SVMI) in Maiquetía, Venezuela, bound for the Santiago Mariño International Airport (SVMG) in El Yaque. The aircraft was certified by the FAA and was considered airworthy at the time of the event. ## Operational Sequence and Crew The takeoff roll began on runway 09 at 22:42 UTC with 152 people on board and 40,000 lbs of fuel. During the acceleration phase, the EPR indicator for the left engine stopped at a value of 1.4. The pilot in command decided to abort the takeoff and return to the terminal platform. The aircraft returned without further incident, and all occupants were unharmed with no damage to the aircraft. The pilot in command was 49 years old and held a valid medical certificate and an Airline Transport Pilot license issued by INAC on January 9, 2005. He had 7,800 hours as pilot in command on the involved model and 10,190 total hours. The co-pilot was 54 years old and held a valid medical certificate and a Commercial Pilot license issued by INAC on October 28, 1992. He had 1,600 hours as co-pilot on the involved model and 3,800 total hours. ## Investigation and Preventive Measures The investigation included the collection of flight documentation, crew interviews, and a visual inspection of the left engine. Ground power runs for both engines showed that operating parameters and EPR indicators were within normal limits. The investigation also verified that the Pt7 gas pressure takeoff pipe did not have leaks. The JIAAC issued preventive measures to LASER, advising crews to maintain attention to abnormal engine operations during the acceleration phase and instructing the maintenance organization to consult the aircraft manufacturer regarding the observed failure. The event was reported to the ICAO ADREP system under file number 077/2022.