Narrative:

After starting our engines I called on unicom at cwa that I was taxiing to runway 17 for departure. The winds were 200 degrees at 6 KTS. I received no answer from other aircraft or the unicom operator. After finishing our before takeoff checklist, the first officer contacted ZMP to get our clearance. He informed center we were departing 17 at cwa. The controller responded by asking which runway. The first officer replied 17, at which time our clearance was given to us. As we taxied onto 17 I called our departure on unicom and again received no response. The runway had no unusual markings indicating that it was closed. Also 17 has a downward slope that hides the departure end. We advanced the power and shortly after reaching V1 we crossed the hump and I noticed a paint truck 1500-2000' down the runway. I rotated and started a turn away from the center of the runway to avoid overflying the truck. We were later told the runway was closed for painting. I believe the problem arose from the fact that I failed to check NOTAMS on a clear VFR day. Also unicom did not answer and the runway had no indication that it was closed. Contributing factors: this was my first day as a captain and was distracted by duties I wasn't familiar with. Corrective action: some sort of marking on the runway that it is closed, or a sign by the taxiway telling pilots that the runway ahead is closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT MADE A TKOF FROM A CLOSED RWY AT A NON TWR ARPT UNICOM. NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED BUT WAS NOT READ BY THE FLT CREW.

Narrative: AFTER STARTING OUR ENGS I CALLED ON UNICOM AT CWA THAT I WAS TAXIING TO RWY 17 FOR DEP. THE WINDS WERE 200 DEGS AT 6 KTS. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER FROM OTHER ACFT OR THE UNICOM OPERATOR. AFTER FINISHING OUR BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, THE F/O CONTACTED ZMP TO GET OUR CLRNC. HE INFORMED CENTER WE WERE DEPARTING 17 AT CWA. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY ASKING WHICH RWY. THE F/O REPLIED 17, AT WHICH TIME OUR CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO US. AS WE TAXIED ONTO 17 I CALLED OUR DEP ON UNICOM AND AGAIN RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THE RWY HAD NO UNUSUAL MARKINGS INDICATING THAT IT WAS CLOSED. ALSO 17 HAS A DOWNWARD SLOPE THAT HIDES THE DEP END. WE ADVANCED THE PWR AND SHORTLY AFTER REACHING V1 WE CROSSED THE HUMP AND I NOTICED A PAINT TRUCK 1500-2000' DOWN THE RWY. I ROTATED AND STARTED A TURN AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE RWY TO AVOID OVERFLYING THE TRUCK. WE WERE LATER TOLD THE RWY WAS CLOSED FOR PAINTING. I BELIEVE THE PROB AROSE FROM THE FACT THAT I FAILED TO CHK NOTAMS ON A CLR VFR DAY. ALSO UNICOM DID NOT ANSWER AND THE RWY HAD NO INDICATION THAT IT WAS CLOSED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THIS WAS MY FIRST DAY AS A CAPT AND WAS DISTRACTED BY DUTIES I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH. CORRECTIVE ACTION: SOME SORT OF MARKING ON THE RWY THAT IT IS CLOSED, OR A SIGN BY THE TXWY TELLING PLTS THAT THE RWY AHEAD IS CLOSED.

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.