After takeoff captain discovered that flight crew had misinterpreted takeoff data information.

Attributes
ACN	113025
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	113025
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Taxied out for takeoff and ground control offered runway 4. I asked to see the data for takeoff. It had runway 4 and 4T. I realized there was about a 4 KT tailwind so I checked the corrections for 5 KTS of wind and found we still had over 20,000 pounds to play with for takeoff. I announced we were going to use maximum power and set the bugs accordingly. We told ground we would take 4 and he cleared us for takeoff. After takeoff I got to thinking about the takeoff and reviewed what had occurred. We had taken off runway 4 from taxiway B. In looking at the fine print on the takeoff data I found that the runway 4 data covered all of runway 4 including the overrun. But the 4T data covered runway 4 excluding the overrun. I had assumed that 4T covered that part of the runway from taxiway B. Normally letters after the number of the runway indicate an intersection takeoff. In this case it is just to show if you don't use the overrun. This caused me to takeoff with about 1000' less than I thought I had. The moral to the story is to read all of the data and just not assume that it is what you think it is. In the future you can be assured that I will review all the fine print.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TKOF CAPT DISCOVERED THAT FLT CREW HAD MISINTERPRETED TKOF DATA INFORMATION.

Narrative: TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF AND GND CTL OFFERED RWY 4. I ASKED TO SEE THE DATA FOR TKOF. IT HAD RWY 4 AND 4T. I REALIZED THERE WAS ABOUT A 4 KT TAILWIND SO I CHECKED THE CORRECTIONS FOR 5 KTS OF WIND AND FOUND WE STILL HAD OVER 20,000 LBS TO PLAY WITH FOR TKOF. I ANNOUNCED WE WERE GOING TO USE MAX POWER AND SET THE BUGS ACCORDINGLY. WE TOLD GND WE WOULD TAKE 4 AND HE CLRED US FOR TKOF. AFTER TKOF I GOT TO THINKING ABOUT THE TKOF AND REVIEWED WHAT HAD OCCURRED. WE HAD TAKEN OFF RWY 4 FROM TXWY B. IN LOOKING AT THE FINE PRINT ON THE TKOF DATA I FOUND THAT THE RWY 4 DATA COVERED ALL OF RWY 4 INCLUDING THE OVERRUN. BUT THE 4T DATA COVERED RWY 4 EXCLUDING THE OVERRUN. I HAD ASSUMED THAT 4T COVERED THAT PART OF THE RWY FROM TXWY B. NORMALLY LETTERS AFTER THE NUMBER OF THE RWY INDICATE AN INTXN TKOF. IN THIS CASE IT IS JUST TO SHOW IF YOU DON'T USE THE OVERRUN. THIS CAUSED ME TO TKOF WITH ABOUT 1000' LESS THAN I THOUGHT I HAD. THE MORAL TO THE STORY IS TO READ ALL OF THE DATA AND JUST NOT ASSUME THAT IT IS WHAT YOU THINK IT IS. IN THE FUTURE YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT I WILL REVIEW ALL THE FINE PRINT.

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.