Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Returned To Gate; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff
Human Factors
We left the Gate in DCA and were making our way out to runway 19 for takeoff. Right before we started the flaps 20 before takeoff checklist ATC told us that the wind was 17 knots gusting to 23 knots. I then called for the flaps 20 before takeoff checklist because the ACARS at this time was telling us to use flaps 20 for take off. After we got through the flaps 20 part of the checklist and cross checking to make sure that our flaps were set and indicating 20 degrees I had told the first officer that ' lets do a full thrust takeoff due to the change in wind conditions'. I said this because when he started saying the V-speeds it reminded me that we needed to change them. I then told my first officer to put no flex in the ACARS because that sometime changes our V-speed numbers. So he put no flex in the ACARS section of the takeoff data. It changed our V-speed numbers so he loaded in the new V-speeds. We then continued on with the flaps 20 before takeoff checklist and went through all the new airspeeds and crosschecked. We finished the before takeoff checklist and as we where finishing ATC was trying to rush us onto the runway for departure because he had an aircraft on four mile final to 19. We made our way onto runway 19 and ran the takeoff checklist as normal. We then were cleared for takeoff being told with no delay. We started our takeoff at flaps 20 as indicated by the ACARS and we had a green TAKEOFF OK CONFIGURATION advisory message and no Flap warning messages on the ACARS or the MFD; everything was normal. As we came through 50 knots my first officer said we have the wrong flap setting. I said no we are at flaps 20 and point to the indication. I then took a quick glance at the ACARS and saw the small flaps 8 indication that it was now displaying. My brain function determined quickly that this was not right and something was wrong. By the time my body and brain was able to calculate a response to the situation at hand to make the decision to abort we where at 90 knots. I then called abort abort and pulled the thrust levers to idle and max braking along with full reverse thrust to stop the aircraft. We then told ATC that we where aborting our takeoff. We stopped the aircraft with lots of runway to spare and exited the runway to the right. We contacted dispatch when safe to do so and Maintenance. We went back to the gate to had the aircraft inspected and to talked more with company. We told the passengers that we had aborted the takeoff and that we will be returning to the gate. I also told them that I would update them further on more information as soon as I got it. No crew or property was damaged and Maintenance signed the aircraft off as safe for service.We ran all the checklists and procedures by the book. I made the decision to abort the takeoff out of the interest of safety. I made this decision because the FOM says that you should abort the takeoff if it is in your perception that the airplane will not fly from 80 knots to V1. Now could the airplane fly; probably but is it right to takeoff with an incorrect flap setting and take the chance of running off the end of the runway. No it is not right. I made the Captain call to abort the takeoff in the interest of safety. I knew something was wrong and I felt like the safety of the flight was in jeopardy. Could it have been an ACARS misshape in the system itself or was it pilot error. I'm not sure. I have never had an aborted takeoff in the 7 years I have worked for [this company] and this is my first flap takeoff issue ever in my career. I have learned a lot from this and from now on when we change anything in the ACARS takeoff data I am going to call for the takeoff checklist and run it from top to bottom all over again. I also think that we need to look at changing the takeoff checklist itself. We need to separate the flaps call out from the V-speed callouts because if you do make any changes to the  ACARS takeoff data these numbers can change. I think we should put the flaps call out and indication cross check down to the bottom of the checklist and put the V-speeds at the top of the checklist. My first officer also suggested that we also put the flaps indication callout on the takeoff checklist just a last chance to catch anything wrong.
Pushed back normally in DCA; running a few minutes late due to a crew rest delay taken earlier in the day. We single engine taxied on N and S; holding short of runway 15. Before crossing runway 15; I started the left engine; performed the 'Delayed After Start Checklist.' We were cleared to cross runway 15 and pulled into the holding area short of runway 19. I began the 'Flaps 20 Before Takeoff Checklist;' setting the flaps to 20 degrees; as this was the data that the ACARS had given us; and that we had briefed earlier. We confirmed that the flaps were set and indicating 20 degrees in accordance with the checklist and the data that the ACARS had given us. As I proceeded to the 'V-speeds' part of the checklist; CA asked that I update the V-speeds for No-Flex data; having taken into account the now gusting winds. When I entered the 'No-flex' parameter on the takeoff setup screen; the ACARS (with the 'Flaps Auto' parameter entered) must have changed the required flaps setting to flaps 8 instead of 20; although neither of us realized it. As I finished loading the new V-speeds; tower cleared us to line up and wait on runway 19; telling us to be ready as he had another aircraft on final (rushing us). Seeing this as just a momentary interruption to the checklist and being rushed by the tower; we continued with; and completed the 'Before Takeoff' checklist as well as the 'Takeoff Checklist.' We began our takeoff roll with a 'TAKEOFF CONFIG OK' message and no apparent indications of the incorrect flap setting. Shortly after setting thrust (around 50 KIAS) I noticed a 'SET FLAPS' message on the ACARS and pointed it out to CA. We both hesitated for a moment as we were both certain we had already set the flaps correctly and did not receive a true 'Warning' or 'Caution' message. CA called the abort shortly afterward; somewhere around 90 KIAS due to having an incorrect flap setting (for the given data). After clearing the runway uneventfully; we realized that the new ACARS data; after we had changed the parameters from 'AUTO' thrust to 'NO FLEX' thrust; had indeed changed the flaps setting from 20 to 8; giving us a 'SET FLAPS' message on the ACARS but not a 'TAKEOFF CONFIG' or lack thereof message on CASS. We returned to the gate without further incident.I suggest a restructuring of the checklists to include 'Flaps' on the 'Takeoff Checklist;' or moving 'V-speeds' ahead of 'Flaps' on the 'Flaps 8/20 Before Takeoff Checklist.
CRJ-200 flight crew reports attempting to depart DCA with an incorrect flap setting after changing to a full thrust takeoff due to gusty winds. Flaps were set to 20 for the reduced thrust takeoff and should have been set to 8 for the full thrust takeoff. When the error is detected during the takeoff the Captain rejects at 90 knots.