Challenger CL600
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
We discovered our flaps were not set correctly as we transferred controls for takeoff. Since I had already began to advance thrust; we also received a takeoff configuration alert from the aircraft. The Captain immediately aborted the roll and we notified ATC and exited the runway. Since the thrust was in the beginning of the travel; the aircraft was only moving less than 5 KTS or so. The Captain made an announcement to the passengers and we re-accomplished the check list from the 'after start' point. We were able to continue on with minimal delay.Right after pushback; during the flow for after start checklist; and performance checklist; ATC advised us of wheels up time and taxi instructions around another aircraft nearby. We reviewed the new taxi instructions picked up where we left off and advised 'ready to taxi'. Since it was dark and the instructions required a brief taxi on a crossing runway; we were both heads up and concentrating on the taxi. As we approached the end of the takeoff runway; while running the before takeoff checklist; we were again interrupted by ATC with instructions. Shortly afterward; we discovered the flaps were misconfigured; almost immediately we received the takeoff configuration and took appropriate action. I feel the combination of interruptions during checklist; unfamiliar taxi instructions in darkness and a relatively short wheels up time lead to the distractions at key checkpoints where we would normally trap this particular threat.I am reminded to start the checklist over when interrupted and not let a short wheels up time bias or distract us from making sure we are actually seeing and stating the configuration required for any phase of the operation. In addition to the radio interruptions during checklist; we were dealing with darkness and terrain in the area. Discontinuing; exiting and re-running the checklist and getting a new wheels up time was the best course of action to correct this undesired state.
CL600 FO reported beginning takeoff roll with flaps not properly set. Multiple distractions were cited as contributing.