A CL65 flight crew on takeoff roll rejected the takeoff when they received a rudder configuration warning.
Synopsis
A CL65 flight crew on takeoff roll rejected the takeoff when they received a rudder configuration warning.
Narrative
Rewritten in plain English from NASA’s original all-caps telegraphic report — facts, figures, and terminology preserved.
Crew took the active; all trim indications were green with rudder trim slightly left of center. Upon application of takeoff thrust, the rudder trim indicator went white and we concurrently received an aural configuration rudder and master warning message.
Takeoff was aborted and we taxied off the runway. We contacted operations and then talked to maintenance control. They informed us that this has happened before and gave us a procedure to clear the new write-up.
It seems that the application of power can wiggle the rudder just enough that if it is not centered but close to what is not considered a takeoff position; even though it is trimmed for flight; it will generate the configuration error message.
Show the original NASA report (verbatim, telegraphic)
CREW TOOK THE ACTIVE; ALL TRIM INDICATIONS WERE GREEN WITH RUDDER TRIM SLIGHTLY L OF CTR. UPON APPLICATION OF TKOF THRUST; THE RUDDER TRIM INDICATOR WENT WHITE AND WE CONCURRENTLY RECEIVED AN AURAL CONFIGN RUDDER AND MASTER WARNING MESSAGE. TKOF WAS ABORTED AND WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY. WE CONTACTED OPS AND THEN TALKED TO MAINT CTL. THEY INFORMED US THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND GAVE US A PROC TO CLR THE NEW WRITE-UP. IT SEEMS THAT THE APPLICATION OF PWR CAN WIGGLE THE RUDDER JUST ENOUGH THAT IF IT IS NOT CTRED BUT CLOSE TO WHAT IS NOT CONSIDERED A TKOF POS; EVEN THOUGH IT IS TRIMMED FOR FLT; IT WILL GENERATE THE CONFIGN ERROR MESSAGE.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.