Narrative:

On the morning of 2/90, we were preparing for the departure from buffalo to baltimore. I was on the last day of my initial operating experience training as a first officer on this aircraft, having spent the previous 3 yrs as a F/east nonplt, on large transport. Before our departure, the aircraft on the gate adjacent to ours had been struck by some type of catering or maintenance veh, and many emergency and police veh were around the area where we were parked, creating considerable confusion and concern. As the captain taxied out of the gate, both of us opened our sliding windows in order to better see the area around our aircraft, and avoid any conflict with these veh. As the captain taxied the aircraft to the runway, he stopped in the runup area and parked to allow the F/as to complete their departure briefing and allow us more time to complete our takeoff checklist. The captain was calling the company for a takeoff alternate, and we were listening for their reply. After a short period in the runup pad, the tower cleared us into position and takeoff alternate also came over the company radio. We made our takeoff and departure, and flew an uneventful flight to baltimore. We continued our trip form baltimore to charlotte and then returned to pittsburgh at the end of our series, and were met at the gate by our chief pilot who told us we had taken off on the wrong runway in buffalo. This was the first time that we had any idea that there was something amiss. Visibility was restr at the time; however we had commented to each other that we could see the tower as we turned out of the gate, so I assume that they could also see us. Supplemental information from acn 137751. We taxied off the gate as slowly and with as little power as possible in case a sudden stop had to be made. At the same time ground control informed us to use caution due to the emergency equipment next to us and cleared to taxi. Apparently the warning about the emergency equipment registered, but not the runway we were to taxi to, as I taxied to the runup pad for runway 5. Runway 5 was the same runway we had landed on the night before. The first officer made the departure announcement and at the same time the tower cleared us for takeoff. At this point everything seemed normal. No remarks were made to us by the tower or departure control that anything unusual had happen. My first indication came 5 hours later in pit when our acting chief pilot informed us we had taken off on the wrong runway in buf. Supplemental information from acn 138541. I am the quality assurance and training specialist at buffalo tower. I was in the rdr room at the time of the occurrence. There was alot of commotion at gate X with 2 rescue vehicles, police cars and an ambulance. At gate Y the pilots of air carrier X an medium large transport called for his clearance. I don't know if they were distraction by the activity at gate X or if they intended to ask for a departure release off runway 5 (runway 23 was active). . At about xg:00 am local a thick fog rolled in and the visibility dropped immediately to 1/8 of a mi RVR between 1600' and 1400'. In this situation the txwys are not visible from the tower. Air carrier X was cleared for takeoff on runway 23 but to the surprise of everyone the aircraft departed on runway 5 and this fact wasn't comfirmed until the aircraft tagged up on rdr 1 mi off the end of runway 5. I heard the FSDO office wants an emergency revocation of the pilot's license for one yr! I personally think the FAA should have these 2 pilots teach a course in cockpit resource management to other company pilots. This incident was very traumatic to the local controller and the east rdr controller (who went home sick).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXIED TO AND DEP WRONG RWY AT BUF DURING REDUCED VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF 2/90, WE WERE PREPARING FOR THE DEP FROM BUFFALO TO BALTIMORE. I WAS ON THE LAST DAY OF MY INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE TRNING AS A F/O ON THIS ACFT, HAVING SPENT THE PREVIOUS 3 YRS AS A F/E NONPLT, ON LGT. BEFORE OUR DEP, THE ACFT ON THE GATE ADJACENT TO OURS HAD BEEN STRUCK BY SOME TYPE OF CATERING OR MAINT VEH, AND MANY EMER AND POLICE VEH WERE AROUND THE AREA WHERE WE WERE PARKED, CREATING CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION AND CONCERN. AS THE CAPT TAXIED OUT OF THE GATE, BOTH OF US OPENED OUR SLIDING WINDOWS IN ORDER TO BETTER SEE THE AREA AROUND OUR ACFT, AND AVOID ANY CONFLICT WITH THESE VEH. AS THE CAPT TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE RWY, HE STOPPED IN THE RUNUP AREA AND PARKED TO ALLOW THE F/AS TO COMPLETE THEIR DEP BRIEFING AND ALLOW US MORE TIME TO COMPLETE OUR TKOF CHKLIST. THE CAPT WAS CALLING THE COMPANY FOR A TKOF ALTERNATE, AND WE WERE LISTENING FOR THEIR REPLY. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD IN THE RUNUP PAD, THE TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND TKOF ALTERNATE ALSO CAME OVER THE COMPANY RADIO. WE MADE OUR TKOF AND DEP, AND FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO BALTIMORE. WE CONTINUED OUR TRIP FORM BALTIMORE TO CHARLOTTE AND THEN RETURNED TO PITTSBURGH AT THE END OF OUR SERIES, AND WERE MET AT THE GATE BY OUR CHIEF PLT WHO TOLD US WE HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE WRONG RWY IN BUFFALO. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD ANY IDEA THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING AMISS. VISIBILITY WAS RESTR AT THE TIME; HOWEVER WE HAD COMMENTED TO EACH OTHER THAT WE COULD SEE THE TWR AS WE TURNED OUT OF THE GATE, SO I ASSUME THAT THEY COULD ALSO SEE US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 137751. WE TAXIED OFF THE GATE AS SLOWLY AND WITH AS LITTLE PWR AS POSSIBLE IN CASE A SUDDEN STOP HAD TO BE MADE. AT THE SAME TIME GND CTL INFORMED US TO USE CAUTION DUE TO THE EMER EQUIP NEXT TO US AND CLRED TO TAXI. APPARENTLY THE WARNING ABOUT THE EMER EQUIP REGISTERED, BUT NOT THE RWY WE WERE TO TAXI TO, AS I TAXIED TO THE RUNUP PAD FOR RWY 5. RWY 5 WAS THE SAME RWY WE HAD LANDED ON THE NIGHT BEFORE. THE F/O MADE THE DEP ANNOUNCEMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. AT THIS POINT EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. NO REMARKS WERE MADE TO US BY THE TWR OR DEP CTL THAT ANYTHING UNUSUAL HAD HAPPEN. MY FIRST INDICATION CAME 5 HRS LATER IN PIT WHEN OUR ACTING CHIEF PLT INFORMED US WE HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE WRONG RWY IN BUF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 138541. I AM THE QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TRNING SPECIALIST AT BUFFALO TWR. I WAS IN THE RDR ROOM AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THERE WAS ALOT OF COMMOTION AT GATE X WITH 2 RESCUE VEHICLES, POLICE CARS AND AN AMBULANCE. AT GATE Y THE PLTS OF ACR X AN MLG CALLED FOR HIS CLRNC. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE DISTR BY THE ACTIVITY AT GATE X OR IF THEY INTENDED TO ASK FOR A DEP RELEASE OFF RWY 5 (RWY 23 WAS ACTIVE). . AT ABOUT XG:00 AM LCL A THICK FOG ROLLED IN AND THE VISIBILITY DROPPED IMMEDIATELY TO 1/8 OF A MI RVR BTWN 1600' AND 1400'. IN THIS SITUATION THE TXWYS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. ACR X WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 23 BUT TO THE SURPRISE OF EVERYONE THE ACFT DEPARTED ON RWY 5 AND THIS FACT WASN'T COMFIRMED UNTIL THE ACFT TAGGED UP ON RDR 1 MI OFF THE END OF RWY 5. I HEARD THE FSDO OFFICE WANTS AN EMER REVOCATION OF THE PLT'S LICENSE FOR ONE YR! I PERSONALLY THINK THE FAA SHOULD HAVE THESE 2 PLTS TEACH A COURSE IN COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT TO OTHER COMPANY PLTS. THIS INCIDENT WAS VERY TRAUMATIC TO THE LCL CTLR AND THE E RDR CTLR (WHO WENT HOME SICK).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.