It's an operation that appears deceptively simple, and many pilots rush through without preparing for what could be the worst experience of a lifetime. Takeoffs are one of the highest risk phases of flight and one in which time is definitely not on our side. Altitude, that great source of comfort and maneuvering room, is also in short supply. Mind-set is frequently to blame. Fail to consider that a problem might occur and you have severely hampered your ability to respond quickly.
Time is precious.
At 60 knots, a typical liftoff speed for light aircraft, we are covering the length of a football field every three seconds. Climbing at 80 knots, the forward movement exceeds two football fields in less than five seconds. The airlines and corporate jet operators constantly practice rejected takeoffs in simulators. Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, they used to do it in the aircraft, and the losses from practice sessions gone wrong far exceeded those of actual malfunctions. The planned reaction wasn't honed.