Which module are you using?

Your sub appears to work properly -- that is, to download and interactively-abort -- under w2k, when use Net::FTP or use Net::FTP::File and appropriate code is added.

And, not to your key question, but re the regex: why allow spaces? Seems to me (YMMV) that m/^abort/i would be slightly less subject to user error or mischance.

Afterthought: Please don't put the narrative part of your question inside code tags; use <p>...</p> instead. (See Markup in the Monastery.)