Narrative:

I had arrived at elm approximately 2 hours before the incident, landing on the then-active runway 24. At departure time, WX conditions were essentially the same as at arrival (3000 scattered). After listening to ATIS, which did not, as I recall, report an expected runway, but did give a lot of information about closed runway 10/28 and closed taxiways due to airport construction, I contacted ground control and was instructed to taxi to 'runway 6/24' intersection with taxiway charlie, which is at about the midpoint of the runway. I was asked if I would accept an intersection takeoff, which I accepted. After runup I called tower, reporting ready to take off. I was cleared for intersection takeoff, with traffic reported as an small aircraft on 3 mi final. I reported 'rolling', took runway 24, and departed. On climb out I heard a garbled conversation between tower and another aircraft, then spotted a high-wing aircraft about 2 mi ahead, circling. I volunteered to the tower that I had traffic dead ahead. Tower then informed me that I had taken off on the wrong runway, that I had been cleared for runway 6 takeoff, not runway 24. The other aircraft reported visual contact with me, and passed under me and to my south. Nearest passage was approximately 700 ft. Contributing factors: 1) pilot assumed that similar WX conditions mean similar wind direction. 2) pilot not paying close enough attention. I still do not recall being told exactly which runway to use by any controller prior to takeoff. If I was so instructed, I lost it in the backgnd of intersection departure queries and traffic on final reports. If I wasn't told exactly which runway to use, I should have requested a verification from the controller. 3) intersection takeoff from runway mid-point enhanced chance that pilot would takeoff wrong way, especially given the change in wind direction from the recent arrival. Gut instinct was to takeoff on the same runway on which I had recently arrived. Recommendation: taxiway closure information at airports with operating control towers does not belong on ATIS. It is tower's responsibility to direct traffic onto the appropriate taxiways. Arriving and departing pilots only need to know ceiling, altimeter, wind, and expected runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTS WRONG RWY HAS CLOSE PROX WITH ARR ACFT.

Narrative: I HAD ARRIVED AT ELM APPROX 2 HRS BEFORE THE INCIDENT, LNDG ON THE THEN-ACTIVE RWY 24. AT DEP TIME, WX CONDITIONS WERE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS AT ARR (3000 SCATTERED). AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS, WHICH DID NOT, AS I RECALL, RPT AN EXPECTED RWY, BUT DID GIVE A LOT OF INFO ABOUT CLOSED RWY 10/28 AND CLOSED TAXIWAYS DUE TO ARPT CONSTRUCTION, I CONTACTED GND CTL AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO 'RWY 6/24' INTXN WITH TAXIWAY CHARLIE, WHICH IS AT ABOUT THE MIDPOINT OF THE RWY. I WAS ASKED IF I WOULD ACCEPT AN INTXN TKOF, WHICH I ACCEPTED. AFTER RUNUP I CALLED TWR, RPTING READY TO TAKE OFF. I WAS CLRED FOR INTXN TKOF, WITH TFC RPTED AS AN SMA ON 3 MI FINAL. I RPTED 'ROLLING', TOOK RWY 24, AND DEPARTED. ON CLBOUT I HEARD A GARBLED CONVERSATION BTWN TWR AND ANOTHER ACFT, THEN SPOTTED A HIGH-WING ACFT ABOUT 2 MI AHEAD, CIRCLING. I VOLUNTEERED TO THE TWR THAT I HAD TFC DEAD AHEAD. TWR THEN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE WRONG RWY, THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR RWY 6 TKOF, NOT RWY 24. THE OTHER ACFT RPTED VISUAL CONTACT WITH ME, AND PASSED UNDER ME AND TO MY S. NEAREST PASSAGE WAS APPROX 700 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) PLT ASSUMED THAT SIMILAR WX CONDITIONS MEAN SIMILAR WIND DIRECTION. 2) PLT NOT PAYING CLOSE ENOUGH ATTN. I STILL DO NOT RECALL BEING TOLD EXACTLY WHICH RWY TO USE BY ANY CTLR PRIOR TO TKOF. IF I WAS SO INSTRUCTED, I LOST IT IN THE BACKGND OF INTXN DEP QUERIES AND TFC ON FINAL RPTS. IF I WASN'T TOLD EXACTLY WHICH RWY TO USE, I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A VERIFICATION FROM THE CTLR. 3) INTXN TKOF FROM RWY MID-POINT ENHANCED CHANCE THAT PLT WOULD TKOF WRONG WAY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION FROM THE RECENT ARR. GUT INSTINCT WAS TO TKOF ON THE SAME RWY ON WHICH I HAD RECENTLY ARRIVED. RECOMMENDATION: TAXIWAY CLOSURE INFO AT ARPTS WITH OPERATING CTL TWRS DOES NOT BELONG ON ATIS. IT IS TWR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DIRECT TFC ONTO THE APPROPRIATE TAXIWAYS. ARRIVING AND DEPARTING PLTS ONLY NEED TO KNOW CEILING, ALTIMETER, WIND, AND EXPECTED RWY.

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.