Narrative:

I had been given clearance to taxi to runway 13 for departure. It was night, and although I have been to huf a number of times, I have never used this runway (primary runway 5-23 closed for maintenance) for departure. I taxied, using ramp and taxiway to hold short lines for runway 13 and ran checklist. My primary attention was inside aircraft as I completed checklist items. My copilot on this trip was very inexperienced, and I was busy rechking all of his items also. The interior lights were on to facilitate checklist reading and the airport is very dark in this area. I called tower, ready to depart, and they cleared me to depart runway 13 then on course. I turned off interior lights, turned on all exterior lights (landing, taxi, recognition, tail floods, strobes) and taxied onto runway and lined up on centerline. Runways 18 and 13 intersect at this end (approach end). I mistakenly lined up on runway 18 centerline and departed. The lights were not on for runway 18, however I did not notice, as the exterior lighting on this aircraft is very effective. Probably my night vision was just recovering, since I had just turned off the interior lights. Additionally these hold short lines serve two runways and I simply pulled onto the runway and locked onto the first centerline I saw. Although I had earlier landed on runway 18, I believe my unfamiliarity with the airport, my recovering night vision and the extreme darkness in this area of the airport caused this error. Possibly better taxi markings may have prevented this, as would have my checking my dg prior to departure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he just locked onto first centerline he saw. When about 100' in the air tower called to say you just departed runway 18. He looked at the area in daylight when next there and the hold lines do say hold for runway 13. Makes it very confusing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOV FLT CREW DEPARTS WRONG RWY.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 13 FOR DEP. IT WAS NIGHT, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN TO HUF A NUMBER OF TIMES, I HAVE NEVER USED THIS RWY (PRIMARY RWY 5-23 CLOSED FOR MAINT) FOR DEP. I TAXIED, USING RAMP AND TXWY TO HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 13 AND RAN CHKLIST. MY PRIMARY ATTN WAS INSIDE ACFT AS I COMPLETED CHKLIST ITEMS. MY COPLT ON THIS TRIP WAS VERY INEXPERIENCED, AND I WAS BUSY RECHKING ALL OF HIS ITEMS ALSO. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ON TO FACILITATE CHKLIST READING AND THE ARPT IS VERY DARK IN THIS AREA. I CALLED TWR, READY TO DEPART, AND THEY CLRED ME TO DEPART RWY 13 THEN ON COURSE. I TURNED OFF INTERIOR LIGHTS, TURNED ON ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS (LNDG, TAXI, RECOGNITION, TAIL FLOODS, STROBES) AND TAXIED ONTO RWY AND LINED UP ON CTRLINE. RWYS 18 AND 13 INTERSECT AT THIS END (APCH END). I MISTAKENLY LINED UP ON RWY 18 CTRLINE AND DEPARTED. THE LIGHTS WERE NOT ON FOR RWY 18, HOWEVER I DID NOT NOTICE, AS THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING ON THIS ACFT IS VERY EFFECTIVE. PROBABLY MY NIGHT VISION WAS JUST RECOVERING, SINCE I HAD JUST TURNED OFF THE INTERIOR LIGHTS. ADDITIONALLY THESE HOLD SHORT LINES SERVE TWO RWYS AND I SIMPLY PULLED ONTO THE RWY AND LOCKED ONTO THE FIRST CTRLINE I SAW. ALTHOUGH I HAD EARLIER LANDED ON RWY 18, I BELIEVE MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT, MY RECOVERING NIGHT VISION AND THE EXTREME DARKNESS IN THIS AREA OF THE ARPT CAUSED THIS ERROR. POSSIBLY BETTER TAXI MARKINGS MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS, AS WOULD HAVE MY CHKING MY DG PRIOR TO DEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE JUST LOCKED ONTO FIRST CTRLINE HE SAW. WHEN ABOUT 100' IN THE AIR TWR CALLED TO SAY YOU JUST DEPARTED RWY 18. HE LOOKED AT THE AREA IN DAYLIGHT WHEN NEXT THERE AND THE HOLD LINES DO SAY HOLD FOR RWY 13. MAKES IT VERY CONFUSING.

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.