Narrative:

Takeoff roll was initiated on runway 18 at huf, after clearance was received to takeoff on runway 13. Takeoff was aborted about 1000' down the runway when huf tower noticed the error and cancelled the takeoff clearance. The primary cause of the incident was my failure to check the heading indicator prior to takeoff. Contributing factors were my unfamiliarity with this airport and poor airport/runway markings. Runway 18 is closed and used as a taxiway, but is still marked as a runway except for an 'X' painted too far down the runway to be noticeable from the end. The signs pointing to runway 13 direct you to the end of 18. Since it looks like a runway (lights, centerline, markings, etc), it is too easy to assume that you are actually at runway 13. Supplemental information from acn 111489: tower cleared us for takeoff runway 13 and turn left direct huf VOR and then on course, at which time the captain asked me to do the runway item checklist. So, I repeated the takeoff clearance in full and started the 9 item runway checklist. While I was busy inside the cockpit the captain was taxiing the aircraft onto what I assumed was runway 13. We were at approximately 50 KIAS and about 1000' into the takeoff roll on runway 18 when the tower cancelled our takeoff clearance, and we aborted the takeoff. Tower then informed us that we had just attempted to takeoff on a closed runway. It was not until tower told us this that we realized the reason for the cancelled takeoff clearance. This error was certainly the result of haste and mostly the confusion caused by the fact that the taxiway and the 2 runways (13 and 18) all meet at a common point. Another major factor was that runway 18 is not clearly marked as a closed runway. For instance, the X on runway 18 is located well down the runway, and not near the end where it can be seen at ground level. Plus, the X on runway 18 is WX beaten and nondescript. Furthermore, the sign on the taxiway leading to these 2 runways only says 'to runway 13,' with no mention of runway 18 being closed. Most pilots are used to making only a 90 degree turn when lining up on a takeoff runway. Thus, I feel that by not having runway 18 marked more distinctly as a closed runway this dangerous set-up will continue. Another factor which prevented me from catching the wrong runway takeoff was that I was too busy inside the cockpit doing my assigned tasks as the copilot. Maybe the 9 item runway checklist should have some items moved to earlier checklists. This would allow the copilot more time to check heading indicator and warn the captain of any mistakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LTT STARTED TKOF ON CLOSED RWY UNTIL TWR CTLR INTERVENED AND TKOF WAS ABORTED AT HUF.

Narrative: TKOF ROLL WAS INITIATED ON RWY 18 AT HUF, AFTER CLRNC WAS RECEIVED TO TKOF ON RWY 13. TKOF WAS ABORTED ABOUT 1000' DOWN THE RWY WHEN HUF TWR NOTICED THE ERROR AND CANCELLED THE TKOF CLRNC. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS MY FAILURE TO CHK THE HDG INDICATOR PRIOR TO TKOF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THIS ARPT AND POOR ARPT/RWY MARKINGS. RWY 18 IS CLOSED AND USED AS A TXWY, BUT IS STILL MARKED AS A RWY EXCEPT FOR AN 'X' PAINTED TOO FAR DOWN THE RWY TO BE NOTICEABLE FROM THE END. THE SIGNS POINTING TO RWY 13 DIRECT YOU TO THE END OF 18. SINCE IT LOOKS LIKE A RWY (LIGHTS, CENTERLINE, MARKINGS, ETC), IT IS TOO EASY TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY AT RWY 13. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 111489: TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF RWY 13 AND TURN LEFT DIRECT HUF VOR AND THEN ON COURSE, AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT ASKED ME TO DO THE RWY ITEM CHKLIST. SO, I REPEATED THE TKOF CLRNC IN FULL AND STARTED THE 9 ITEM RWY CHKLIST. WHILE I WAS BUSY INSIDE THE COCKPIT THE CAPT WAS TAXIING THE ACFT ONTO WHAT I ASSUMED WAS RWY 13. WE WERE AT APPROX 50 KIAS AND ABOUT 1000' INTO THE TKOF ROLL ON RWY 18 WHEN THE TWR CANCELLED OUR TKOF CLRNC, AND WE ABORTED THE TKOF. TWR THEN INFORMED US THAT WE HAD JUST ATTEMPTED TO TKOF ON A CLOSED RWY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL TWR TOLD US THIS THAT WE REALIZED THE REASON FOR THE CANCELLED TKOF CLRNC. THIS ERROR WAS CERTAINLY THE RESULT OF HASTE AND MOSTLY THE CONFUSION CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THE TXWY AND THE 2 RWYS (13 AND 18) ALL MEET AT A COMMON POINT. ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR WAS THAT RWY 18 IS NOT CLEARLY MARKED AS A CLOSED RWY. FOR INSTANCE, THE X ON RWY 18 IS LOCATED WELL DOWN THE RWY, AND NOT NEAR THE END WHERE IT CAN BE SEEN AT GND LEVEL. PLUS, THE X ON RWY 18 IS WX BEATEN AND NONDESCRIPT. FURTHERMORE, THE SIGN ON THE TXWY LEADING TO THESE 2 RWYS ONLY SAYS 'TO RWY 13,' WITH NO MENTION OF RWY 18 BEING CLOSED. MOST PLTS ARE USED TO MAKING ONLY A 90 DEG TURN WHEN LINING UP ON A TKOF RWY. THUS, I FEEL THAT BY NOT HAVING RWY 18 MARKED MORE DISTINCTLY AS A CLOSED RWY THIS DANGEROUS SET-UP WILL CONTINUE. ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM CATCHING THE WRONG RWY TKOF WAS THAT I WAS TOO BUSY INSIDE THE COCKPIT DOING MY ASSIGNED TASKS AS THE COPLT. MAYBE THE 9 ITEM RWY CHKLIST SHOULD HAVE SOME ITEMS MOVED TO EARLIER CHKLISTS. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE COPLT MORE TIME TO CHK HDG INDICATOR AND WARN THE CAPT OF ANY MISTAKES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.