Charter small transport wrong runway takeoff at hou.

Attributes
ACN	121372
Time
Date	198908
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1900
ASRS Report	121372
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Ground control instructed me to taxi to runway 17 via several different txwys, hold short of runway 12L at taxiway echo. Taxi time was approximately 10 mins. After the run-up and switching to tower frequency, I was asked by tower if I was ready for departure and I said yes with a couple pre-takeoff items remaining. I was cleared across 12L and cleared for takeoff with no runway specified. I departed 12R and tower noticed as I was rolling and informed me I was cleared to depart 17, not 12R, there was traffic on short final, so I was cleared for immediate takeoff on 12R. No conflict with other aircraft and no harm done. However, factors I felt contributed to this error was amount of time from clearance to taxi till takeoff, complexity of runway layout, no specific runway takeoff clearance, pilot fatigue and pilot unfamiliarity with airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER SMT WRONG RWY TKOF AT HOU.

Narrative: GND CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 17 VIA SEVERAL DIFFERENT TXWYS, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L AT TXWY ECHO. TAXI TIME WAS APPROX 10 MINS. AFTER THE RUN-UP AND SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ, I WAS ASKED BY TWR IF I WAS READY FOR DEP AND I SAID YES WITH A COUPLE PRE-TKOF ITEMS REMAINING. I WAS CLRED ACROSS 12L AND CLRED FOR TKOF WITH NO RWY SPECIFIED. I DEPARTED 12R AND TWR NOTICED AS I WAS ROLLING AND INFORMED ME I WAS CLRED TO DEPART 17, NOT 12R, THERE WAS TFC ON SHORT FINAL, SO I WAS CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF ON 12R. NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT AND NO HARM DONE. HOWEVER, FACTORS I FELT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ERROR WAS AMOUNT OF TIME FROM CLRNC TO TAXI TILL TKOF, COMPLEXITY OF RWY LAYOUT, NO SPECIFIC RWY TKOF CLRNC, PLT FATIGUE AND PLT UNFAMILIARITY WITH ARPT.

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.