Narrative:

I was flying with a new copilot who was fairly weak. This was to be our second leg. During the first leg, I discovered that much of my attention was required to keep him on heading and at leaving little time for much else, so I knew that on this ewr departure, we should all be certain of what we were doing before takeoff. We briefed the airport, takeoff, and departure at length. We had the additional problem of being at or near gross weight (maximum) so we reviewed the limits carefully, disregarding any thought of intersection takeoffs, which we had weights for if we desired. Ground control told us to use the outer to romeo to runway 22R. Approaching the threshold while still on romeo, ground told us to monitor tower frequency. Upon switching, tower immediately said, 'cleared for takeoff'. The taxiway curves at that point to lead us directly to the threshold. We rolled out, turned the packs off for a little extra margin of safety, and started the takeoff roll. Acceleration was normal, but the end of the runway was approaching rapidly. Finally, at vr, we lifted off with very little runway remaining. We discussed it later and discovered that the runway threshold is actually an intersection takeoff, and the taxiway which leads us to that threshold continues on, but appears to go to another runway (which it in fact does), but also leads to the actual end of runway 22R. That part of it, however, is not at all obvious. If I had studied that airport and the weight sheet for an hour, but very obscure, and the taxiway leads aircraft to what is obviously the starting point of the runway. I know of no other airport in our system where we are required to use runway short of the threshold to be legal for our takeoff. We determined that we were 4000 pounds too heavy. It was a lesson I won't forget, but based on the way the information was presented and the layout of the taxiway, I can only hope that if the same thing happens at some other airport, that I am not again lured into a similar situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT STARTED TKOF ROLL FROM DISPLACED LNDG THRESHOLD INSTEAD OF RWY END.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WITH A NEW COPLT WHO WAS FAIRLY WEAK. THIS WAS TO BE OUR SEC LEG. DURING THE FIRST LEG, I DISCOVERED THAT MUCH OF MY ATTN WAS REQUIRED TO KEEP HIM ON HDG AND AT LEAVING LITTLE TIME FOR MUCH ELSE, SO I KNEW THAT ON THIS EWR DEP, WE SHOULD ALL BE CERTAIN OF WHAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE TKOF. WE BRIEFED THE ARPT, TKOF, AND DEP AT LENGTH. WE HAD THE ADDITIONAL PROB OF BEING AT OR NEAR GROSS WT (MAX) SO WE REVIEWED THE LIMITS CAREFULLY, DISREGARDING ANY THOUGHT OF INTXN TKOFS, WHICH WE HAD WTS FOR IF WE DESIRED. GND CTL TOLD US TO USE THE OUTER TO ROMEO TO RWY 22R. APCHING THE THRESHOLD WHILE STILL ON ROMEO, GND TOLD US TO MONITOR TWR FREQ. UPON SWITCHING, TWR IMMEDIATELY SAID, 'CLRED FOR TKOF'. THE TXWY CURVES AT THAT POINT TO LEAD US DIRECTLY TO THE THRESHOLD. WE ROLLED OUT, TURNED THE PACKS OFF FOR A LITTLE EXTRA MARGIN OF SAFETY, AND STARTED THE TKOF ROLL. ACCELERATION WAS NORMAL, BUT THE END OF THE RWY WAS APCHING RAPIDLY. FINALLY, AT VR, WE LIFTED OFF WITH VERY LITTLE RWY REMAINING. WE DISCUSSED IT LATER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE RWY THRESHOLD IS ACTUALLY AN INTXN TKOF, AND THE TXWY WHICH LEADS US TO THAT THRESHOLD CONTINUES ON, BUT APPEARS TO GO TO ANOTHER RWY (WHICH IT IN FACT DOES), BUT ALSO LEADS TO THE ACTUAL END OF RWY 22R. THAT PART OF IT, HOWEVER, IS NOT AT ALL OBVIOUS. IF I HAD STUDIED THAT ARPT AND THE WT SHEET FOR AN HR, BUT VERY OBSCURE, AND THE TXWY LEADS ACFT TO WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY THE STARTING POINT OF THE RWY. I KNOW OF NO OTHER ARPT IN OUR SYS WHERE WE ARE REQUIRED TO USE RWY SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD TO BE LEGAL FOR OUR TKOF. WE DETERMINED THAT WE WERE 4000 LBS TOO HVY. IT WAS A LESSON I WON'T FORGET, BUT BASED ON THE WAY THE INFO WAS PRESENTED AND THE LAYOUT OF THE TXWY, I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT IF THE SAME THING HAPPENS AT SOME OTHER ARPT, THAT I AM NOT AGAIN LURED INTO A SIMILAR 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.