Definition
AC 120-62 is the FAA Advisory Circular titled 'Takeoff Safety Training Aid,' which provides guidance and training material to help flight crews and operators reduce the risk of rejected takeoff (RTO) accidents. It outlines the decision factors, crew procedures, and operational considerations involved in deciding whether to continue or reject a takeoff after a problem occurs during the takeoff roll.
Plain English
It is an FAA document that teaches pilots how to make better go/stop decisions during takeoff, especially when something goes wrong. The goal is to reduce takeoff accidents caused by rejecting a takeoff at the wrong time or for the wrong reason.
Context Anchor
You may see AC 120-62 cited in FAA training material, airline training programs, and discussions about rejected takeoffs.
Derivation
Advisory Circular' is the FAA's term for non-regulatory guidance documents. The number 120-62 is just the FAA's filing system: the 120 series covers air carrier operations, and 62 is the specific document within that series. Knowing this tells you the document is guidance, not a rule, and that it focuses on operational practices.
Why Pilots Care
Provides the accepted industry standard for RTO training that helps crews make timely stop-or-go decisions and reduces runway-excursion risk.
Intuition Check
Do not read AC 120-62 as a regulation number by itself. It is an FAA guidance document number: AC means Advisory Circular, and 120-62 identifies the specific circular.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor referenced AC 120-62 when explaining why a high-speed reject for a minor warning light is rarely the right choice.
Example Sentence 2
Before the flight review, the captain reread AC 120-62 to refresh the recommended procedures for a high-speed abort.