Narrative:

I am a private pilot with about 140 hours total time. I was piloting a rental aircraft with one passenger on board. We had flown from wilmington, de, to atlantic city international and were preparing to return to wilmington. I called clearance delivery and requested 300 degree vector heading. I was given squawk code and was told to fly runway heading and to contact departure on climb out. I then contacted ground control and was cleared to taxi to midfield taxiway for runways 13-31. During this time, my passenger made a remark to me and I did not clearly hear which runway I was assigned. I taxied into position and reasoned that since I had requested a 300 degree heading, I must have been given runway 31. After completing my run-up, I notified the tower that I was ready for departure and was cleared for takeoff. I turned onto runway 31 and applied full throttle. As I reached rotation velocity, I heard the tower call, you're supposed to be on runway 13. I completed the takeoff and called departure. Almost immediately, I was instructed to turn to a heading of 220 degrees. Several mins later, departure called back and asked if I was aware that I had taken off on the wrong runway. He then informed me that I had taken off into oncoming traffic. I realize that I made several judgement errors which resulted in a dangerous situation. Although I listened to the ATIS announcement, I neglected to write it down as I normally do. This would have allowed me to verify the active runway quickly. I should have instructed my passenger to refrain from distracting my attention while I was communicating on the radio. I should obviously have contacted ground control again to rechk my instructions rather than making an unwarranted assumption. If I had rejected the midfield takeoff there would have been no possibility of confusion over which runway was the active. Finally, I should have aborted the takeoff as soon as I was informed of my error rather than proceed. As the midfield position left me with over 6000' of runway to use, I had sufficient runway remaining to allow me to safely stop. I should also point out that immediately after taking off I switched over to the departure frequency west/O being instructed to by the tower. I attribute this additional error to momentary confusion on my part. I realize now that this could have resulted in some delay in the tower contacting me which could have led to dire consequences as I was flying into oncoming traffic. In the future, I will be much less reticent about contacting ground control, the tower, or any other controling frequency whenever I misunderstand or am not sure about an instruction. By wishing not to appear unprofessional to my passenger, I placed her (not to mention myself) in a potentially catastrophic situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA WRONG DIRECTION TKOF AT ACY.

Narrative: I AM A PRIVATE PLT WITH ABOUT 140 HRS TOTAL TIME. I WAS PILOTING A RENTAL ACFT WITH ONE PAX ON BOARD. WE HAD FLOWN FROM WILMINGTON, DE, TO ATLANTIC CITY INTL AND WERE PREPARING TO RETURN TO WILMINGTON. I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND REQUESTED 300 DEG VECTOR HDG. I WAS GIVEN SQUAWK CODE AND WAS TOLD TO FLY RWY HDG AND TO CONTACT DEP ON CLB OUT. I THEN CONTACTED GND CTL AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO MIDFIELD TXWY FOR RWYS 13-31. DURING THIS TIME, MY PAX MADE A REMARK TO ME AND I DID NOT CLRLY HEAR WHICH RWY I WAS ASSIGNED. I TAXIED INTO POS AND REASONED THAT SINCE I HAD REQUESTED A 300 DEG HDG, I MUST HAVE BEEN GIVEN RWY 31. AFTER COMPLETING MY RUN-UP, I NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT I WAS READY FOR DEP AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I TURNED ONTO RWY 31 AND APPLIED FULL THROTTLE. AS I REACHED ROTATION VELOCITY, I HEARD THE TWR CALL, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON RWY 13. I COMPLETED THE TKOF AND CALLED DEP. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS. SEVERAL MINS LATER, DEP CALLED BACK AND ASKED IF I WAS AWARE THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE WRONG RWY. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF INTO ONCOMING TFC. I REALIZE THAT I MADE SEVERAL JUDGEMENT ERRORS WHICH RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALTHOUGH I LISTENED TO THE ATIS ANNOUNCEMENT, I NEGLECTED TO WRITE IT DOWN AS I NORMALLY DO. THIS WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO VERIFY THE ACTIVE RWY QUICKLY. I SHOULD HAVE INSTRUCTED MY PAX TO REFRAIN FROM DISTRACTING MY ATTN WHILE I WAS COMMUNICATING ON THE RADIO. I SHOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE CONTACTED GND CTL AGAIN TO RECHK MY INSTRUCTIONS RATHER THAN MAKING AN UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTION. IF I HAD REJECTED THE MIDFIELD TKOF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO POSSIBILITY OF CONFUSION OVER WHICH RWY WAS THE ACTIVE. FINALLY, I SHOULD HAVE ABORTED THE TKOF AS SOON AS I WAS INFORMED OF MY ERROR RATHER THAN PROCEED. AS THE MIDFIELD POS LEFT ME WITH OVER 6000' OF RWY TO USE, I HAD SUFFICIENT RWY REMAINING TO ALLOW ME TO SAFELY STOP. I SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING OFF I SWITCHED OVER TO THE DEP FREQ W/O BEING INSTRUCTED TO BY THE TWR. I ATTRIBUTE THIS ADDITIONAL ERROR TO MOMENTARY CONFUSION ON MY PART. I REALIZE NOW THAT THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SOME DELAY IN THE TWR CONTACTING ME WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO DIRE CONSEQUENCES AS I WAS FLYING INTO ONCOMING TFC. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MUCH LESS RETICENT ABOUT CONTACTING GND CTL, THE TWR, OR ANY OTHER CTLING FREQ WHENEVER I MISUNDERSTAND OR AM NOT SURE ABOUT AN INSTRUCTION. BY WISHING NOT TO APPEAR UNPROFESSIONAL TO MY PAX, I PLACED HER (NOT TO MENTION MYSELF) IN A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SITUATION.

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.