Narrative:

I copied ATIS, contacted clearance delivery, called ground and cleared to runway 03 at romeo. As I held short of 03 I was told by tower that there would be a delay but if I wished I could make a 180 degree turn and go to 07 and I was cleared for takeoff. I made a 180 degree turn and taxied to 07/25 at romeo. As I arrived at 07/25 I observed an aircraft on final several mi out for 03 and confirmed that I was clear for takeoff. When that was confirmed, I turned right onto 25 rather than left onto 07 and departed. I believe that as I made my 180 degree turn on taxiway romeo I had, west/O consciously realizing it, become directionally disoriented. As I approached 07/25 I was already mentally committed to making a right turn onto 25 and for that reason requested confirmation of my takeoff clearance because I could see a possible conflict with the incoming aircraft to 03. It was not until after rotation that, to my horror, I was on a heading of 250 degrees. Also, about this same time, the tower controller very calmly informed me of my error and cautioned me of errors of this nature in the future. I believe that several factors caused this incident, not the least of which was gross inattn on my part. While on the ramp preflting the aircraft I saw what appeared to be an aircraft landing on 25 which printed a subconscious picture on my mind of direction of flight. This was confirmed by the sight of an aircraft landing on 25 right after my departure. Second, when I was cleared for takeoff the controller told me that I was cleared to back-taxi on the runway if I wished more room so when I positioned my aircraft facing 250 degrees for takeoff it probably appeared as though I was going to back-taxi therefore not alerting the tower as to my impending error. Also be electing to depart midfield, there were no runway #south visible which might have jarred my consciousness. Lastly there was a great deal of distraction in the cabin with conversation of the surveillance mission we were on and the possible results of the mission.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOVT ACFT TAXIS TO CORRECT RWY FOR INTERSECTION TKOF. DEPART WRONG DIRECTION.

Narrative: I COPIED ATIS, CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY, CALLED GND AND CLRED TO RWY 03 AT ROMEO. AS I HELD SHORT OF 03 I WAS TOLD BY TWR THAT THERE WOULD BE A DELAY BUT IF I WISHED I COULD MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND GO TO 07 AND I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND TAXIED TO 07/25 AT ROMEO. AS I ARRIVED AT 07/25 I OBSERVED AN ACFT ON FINAL SEVERAL MI OUT FOR 03 AND CONFIRMED THAT I WAS CLR FOR TKOF. WHEN THAT WAS CONFIRMED, I TURNED RIGHT ONTO 25 RATHER THAN LEFT ONTO 07 AND DEPARTED. I BELIEVE THAT AS I MADE MY 180 DEG TURN ON TXWY ROMEO I HAD, W/O CONSCIOUSLY REALIZING IT, BECOME DIRECTIONALLY DISORIENTED. AS I APCHED 07/25 I WAS ALREADY MENTALLY COMMITTED TO MAKING A RIGHT TURN ONTO 25 AND FOR THAT REASON REQUESTED CONFIRMATION OF MY TKOF CLRNC BECAUSE I COULD SEE A POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH THE INCOMING ACFT TO 03. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER ROTATION THAT, TO MY HORROR, I WAS ON A HDG OF 250 DEGS. ALSO, ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, THE TWR CTLR VERY CALMLY INFORMED ME OF MY ERROR AND CAUTIONED ME OF ERRORS OF THIS NATURE IN THE FUTURE. I BELIEVE THAT SEVERAL FACTORS CAUSED THIS INCIDENT, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH WAS GROSS INATTN ON MY PART. WHILE ON THE RAMP PREFLTING THE ACFT I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ACFT LNDG ON 25 WHICH PRINTED A SUBCONSCIOUS PICTURE ON MY MIND OF DIRECTION OF FLT. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE SIGHT OF AN ACFT LNDG ON 25 RIGHT AFTER MY DEP. SECOND, WHEN I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT I WAS CLRED TO BACK-TAXI ON THE RWY IF I WISHED MORE ROOM SO WHEN I POSITIONED MY ACFT FACING 250 DEGS FOR TKOF IT PROBABLY APPEARED AS THOUGH I WAS GOING TO BACK-TAXI THEREFORE NOT ALERTING THE TWR AS TO MY IMPENDING ERROR. ALSO BE ELECTING TO DEPART MIDFIELD, THERE WERE NO RWY #S VISIBLE WHICH MIGHT HAVE JARRED MY CONSCIOUSNESS. LASTLY THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF DISTR IN THE CABIN WITH CONVERSATION OF THE SURVEILLANCE MISSION WE WERE ON AND THE POSSIBLE RESULTS OF THE MISSION.

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.