Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Workload; Distraction; Time Pressure; Human-Machine Interface
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
Before departing...the copilot and I discussed the flaps 20 required for Runway 19R. He even highlighted it on the TOLD card. We were given a flow time of 'on the hour' which would give us about 10 minutes from pushback. We went through the After Start checklist while I was listening to ground move an aircraft behind us. I was thinking with our flow time we would need to be moved. During this time I believe we both agreed to the normal flaps 8. We were then given the short taxi instruction. We began a taxi check when the Tower called us to continue around corner to hold short of 19L. Still thinking we had a few minutes before our flow time; we continued the taxi checks. A moment later we are being told to taxi into position. Still thinking we had at least a couple minutes for flow we accepted and tried to get the confirmation the flight attendants were ready. While still entering the runway we were cleared for takeoff. I told Tower we were waiting for the flight attendants and would need another minute. He cancelled takeoff clearance and had us position and hold. We had finished the taxi check and were now trying to get the takeoff check done. We were quickly given a new takeoff clearance and that traffic was on final. We let ourselves be rushed and missed the flap setting again.  During the takeoff roll; in the high speed segment; the First Officer announced that the flaps were not set to 20. My first reaction when I looked up from the airspeed was to abort; however when I saw what little runway was left at the high speed we were traveling I felt a rejected takeoff would be more dangerous and decided to continue while adding the flaps. We rotated normally and climb out was normal. The easy answer would be to not to let ourselves be rushed. I feel this was a perfect storm of events that led us to err. In the future; if I even sense we are being rushed; I will advise ATC how much time we will need to be ready well in advance of being on the runway. Also to prevent this in the future I will touch the flap lever while looking at the TOLD card.
At the '80 KTS' call; I saw that flaps were not at 20 degrees. I told the Captain 'We need flaps 20'. The Captain changed the flaps to 20 degrees; and said continue. I would estimate that flaps were extended to 20 degrees at an airspeed exceeding 100 KTS. We got a 'T/O config' caution message and continued the takeoff. Flaps were at 20 degrees; and the warning gone; prior to V1. As a precaution; I let airspeed build past V1 prior to rotation. There were no abnormal aircraft reactions upon liftoff or climb.
CRJ-900 flight crew missed flaps set at 8 rather than the required flaps 20 until noted by the First Officer in the high speed segment of the takeoff. Judging that a rejected takeoff would be more dangerous than continuing the takeoff; the Captain set flaps to 20 and told the First Officer; pilot flying; to continue. Takeoff and climbout were normal.