Malindo tries a flapless takeoff, Perth
 

Just came across the following video and was pretty amazed in 2018 a crew could miss the flaps, only to be saved by the T/O config warning. Not trying to start a 'Lion Air group bashing' but how does CASA allow this to continue?

And to an amateur's eye, that looks like a pretty sloppy line-up at the 1st try. My instructor would rip my head off for that. Why throw away 2 a/c lengths of runway before starting your run?

Well Batik can't get in trouble for landing long.. looks like he hit the 1000' markers or just after!

That was an interesting landing, almost touched down nose wheel first. Maybe the apprentice was flying. Maybe not. Having seen an Indonesian crew get lost in the traffic pattern at an airport with a 7000' runway before nothing much surprises me any more.

Yeah they should totally do the ol Aussie 737 mini back track

Interesting that he thought using reverse was necessary for such a low speed abort. Well below the Boeing recommendation for reverser stowage.

Dodo - Does the Rejected Takeoff checklist in a B737 specify a speed that you should USE/NOT USE reverse thrust?

Most pilots have made boo boo's sometime in their career but what's probably most concerning here is that there are two drivers in the cockpit & for good reasons, they both didn't pick this up? Still the system worked to break the accident chain, did they learn from this? That's another story!

Sounded more like IDLE Reverse was selected. Also noticed the flaps coming out during the abort.

I'd like to hear the announcement from the Malindo pilot to the passengers after the abort...

beat me to it Gullibell. Was about to say would have loved to have heard the PA. Probably didn't even make one.

Pretty easy to be nose low, especially carrying a bit of speed for wind. Normal approach pitch attitude with Flap 40 is 0 degrees.

Australian operators are not immune from configuration errors

The QRH says "apply reverse thrust up to the maximum consistent with conditions"

In this case conditions did not dictate that reverse was necessary - (i) it was a low speed reject and (ii) given the distance he had to taxi to vacate the runway stopping wasn't an issue. Throttles to idle would suffice and also minimise any possible FOD concerns.

Yes we all make errors but I am trying to figure out the actual points at which this error was not trapped until the technology saved their bacon...

1. Pilot forgets to set flap.
2. Take-off checklist, item missed or incorrect response.
3. Config check prior to rolling, usually at line up.

So three errors trapped by the config warning at thrust lever movement. Draw your own conclusion.

You would need to know the company line-up allowance and policy. If the RTOW was based on say an intersection departure but they used full length then nothing is "thrown away". Not saying that this is what occurred here just explaining that it is often not simply being cavalier with the 3444 metres available to use.

Well it could have been worse; they could have completely ignored the take-off config warnings like this mob did!

Flaps are definitely down. Guessing that's either an incorrect flap setting or incorrect VR speed for the given weight. Probably didn't trigger the warning.

I thought it might be something like that - similar to what I'm used to - I'm being a tad pedantic, but the way I read your QRH is that reversers SHOULD be selected always - the amount of reverse then used should be commensurate with the conditions (speed at commencement of abort / runway remaining / directional control / etc). Idle may be appropriate.
I'm a big believer of doing the SAME actions ALWAYS - the AMOUNT of braking and reverse is up to the PF given the conditions at the time.
IE an abort commenced at 45 KIAS on runway 34L at YSSY doesn't need max braking, spoilers (if you fly a type that requires they be manually extended), and max reverse - but I'll at least apply/select all of them - so it's the same process every time... Hopefully it means I'm ready when it happens at V1-5 on a balanced field!

Don't mean to be pedantic but as a rejected take off is normally done by the captain, it is up to him to decide even if the PF at the time was the other bloke?

Technically as soon as the word "Reject" is spoken the captain becomes PF, the Boeing SOP is that he or she has their hand on the thrust levers from the call of "thrust set" to "V1" even if the F/O is PF until the RTO begins (as I'm convinced you know), so it is the PF who decides how much braking/reverse to use.

As for the rest of the discussion, none of us are immune to errors, as rrramjet said it can happen to any one, and whilst experience levels may be an issue it's not always the case. We used to do the before take-off check list as soon as we got cabin secure, then someone decided they wanted us to do it at the holding point, because they said we shouldn't have the radar on so early during the taxi out. So shortly afterwards at some Sh*te hole in darkest Africa we were taxying out with all the normal distractions of mad bush pilots, mad Russian helicopters, pissing rain and incomprehensible ATC and only realised as we lined up that we hadn't done the before take-off checks (although the aircraft was at least correctly configured). that day on the flight deck I had twelve years experience on the 73 and the F/O had ten, and 29,000 hours logged between us, but we still got it wrong.

As for some of the other issues being raised, the Boeing on board performance tool doesn't require a 90 degree turn to line up, like we used to do, an allowance is built in depending if the runway entrance point is at 90 or 30 degrees or a 180 degree turn after a back track. And using the Boeing OPT for a max weight 800 at sea level, standard pressure and ISA plus 15 then calculations using optimum flap settings will give flap 1 for take-off for runways as short as 2000m if there are no obstacles, so as was suggested, the second video clip was almost certainly an early rotation or the aircraft wildly out of trim rather than an incorrect flap setting.

As was said earlier, there but for the grace of God....

I admit I have no idea how the 737 works not having flown one. On the Ejet however, having the wrong flap setting to what is set in the box would trigger the take-off config warning. I didn't realize the 73 was not that smart. :-)

I know they have a few captains from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and being from that region, it would be pretty steep from what I hear from friends.

Probably cause you can T/Off with flaps 1, 2 or 3 set (not full) so 3 out of 4 flap settings are avail to launch in the 320?

Can't speak for the 737 but the A320 SOP's infers that we do not disconnect the ramp engineer following our start up until the PM has completed their duties, right down to confirming the doors are armed. A number of the items in the after start scan could get you grounded, so even if it were not a requirement, seems sensible to me, especially when you consider that it only takes about 8 seconds to watch the PM complete their duties including set the flaps correctly. Of course it is in the checklist but that should be a last line of defence not the primary means. I beleive the 330 may not give you 'no blue' for takeoff if they're in the wrong position but I could be wrong.

I hate to say it but these guys are not the first to commence a takeoff with the wrong/no flaps set, nor will likely not be the last.