Narrative:

Aircraft was parked on the east end of the ramp in front of FBO at san diego international. After engine start, both the poststart and pretkof checks were completed before taxi. We were cleared to taxi the short distance (200 ft) to hold short at the approach end of runway 27. After an aircraft landed we were cleared into position and hold on runway 27. The runway checks were completed before I made the right 90 degree turn to line up for takeoff. I lined up on what I thought from all visual cues was just to the left of the runway centerline. We sat in position while the aircraft that had just landed cleared the runway. After being cleared for takeoff power was added and takeoff roll began. Shortly it felt as though the aircraft was in a rut. I moved the aircraft to the left a few ft and everything smoothed out and the takeoff was continued. About the time of liftoff I realized that the most probable cause of the rut I felt was the right side (edge) of the runway where it meets the tarmac. This was confirmed after becoming airborne and seeing that we were centered on the right half of the runway and not to the left of centerline as I believed before takeoff. The takeoff area has medium intensity approach lights in it and the runway has a displaced threshold well down the runway (1800 ft) from the takeoff end. The runway 27 approach/takeoff end is not well defined and obviously confusing. From all visual indications I thought I was just to the left of centerline when in fact I was just to the left of the right side of the runway. I recommended that the lighting/runway markings be reviewed to eliminate the confusion that led me to position the aircraft incorrectly for takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 196601: I had my head down reading the 'runway items' checklist. When I remember looking up I saw a row of green lights slightly to the right extending down the runway. I accepted this row of green lights as the centerline lights of runway 27 and my directional gyroscope and RMI both indicated 270 degrees. Time of day was dusk, it's not light and it's not dark. The aircraft sits very low to the ground and doesn't offer 'commanding visibility.' no lead-in yellow line from our position behind the hold short line. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states crew has been back to san twice and cannot determine what lights they saw and lined up with. Have also discovered there are 2 taxiway lines to guide to runway. They had come from the FBO and were positioned in between the lines so did not see them on this wide ramp area. The flight manager says that a crew did exactly the same thing 2 yrs ago. That is why company had a training session for their pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP FLC LINES UP WITH WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE RWY CENTERLINE LIGHTS. MAIN GEAR ENTERS A RUT ON SIDE OF RWY.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PARKED ON THE E END OF THE RAMP IN FRONT OF FBO AT SAN DIEGO INTL. AFTER ENG START, BOTH THE POSTSTART AND PRETKOF CHKS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE TAXI. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI THE SHORT DISTANCE (200 FT) TO HOLD SHORT AT THE APCH END OF RWY 27. AFTER AN ACFT LANDED WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27. THE RWY CHKS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE I MADE THE R 90 DEG TURN TO LINE UP FOR TKOF. I LINED UP ON WHAT I THOUGHT FROM ALL VISUAL CUES WAS JUST TO THE L OF THE RWY CENTERLINE. WE SAT IN POS WHILE THE ACFT THAT HAD JUST LANDED CLRED THE RWY. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR TKOF PWR WAS ADDED AND TKOF ROLL BEGAN. SHORTLY IT FELT AS THOUGH THE ACFT WAS IN A RUT. I MOVED THE ACFT TO THE L A FEW FT AND EVERYTHING SMOOTHED OUT AND THE TKOF WAS CONTINUED. ABOUT THE TIME OF LIFTOFF I REALIZED THAT THE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE RUT I FELT WAS THE R SIDE (EDGE) OF THE RWY WHERE IT MEETS THE TARMAC. THIS WAS CONFIRMED AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE AND SEEING THAT WE WERE CENTERED ON THE R HALF OF THE RWY AND NOT TO THE L OF CENTERLINE AS I BELIEVED BEFORE TKOF. THE TKOF AREA HAS MEDIUM INTENSITY APCH LIGHTS IN IT AND THE RWY HAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD WELL DOWN THE RWY (1800 FT) FROM THE TKOF END. THE RWY 27 APCH/TKOF END IS NOT WELL DEFINED AND OBVIOUSLY CONFUSING. FROM ALL VISUAL INDICATIONS I THOUGHT I WAS JUST TO THE L OF CENTERLINE WHEN IN FACT I WAS JUST TO THE L OF THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. I RECOMMENDED THAT THE LIGHTING/RWY MARKINGS BE REVIEWED TO ELIMINATE THE CONFUSION THAT LED ME TO POS THE ACFT INCORRECTLY FOR TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 196601: I HAD MY HEAD DOWN READING THE 'RWY ITEMS' CHKLIST. WHEN I REMEMBER LOOKING UP I SAW A ROW OF GREEN LIGHTS SLIGHTLY TO THE R EXTENDING DOWN THE RWY. I ACCEPTED THIS ROW OF GREEN LIGHTS AS THE CENTERLINE LIGHTS OF RWY 27 AND MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE AND RMI BOTH INDICATED 270 DEGS. TIME OF DAY WAS DUSK, IT'S NOT LIGHT AND IT'S NOT DARK. THE ACFT SITS VERY LOW TO THE GND AND DOESN'T OFFER 'COMMANDING VISIBILITY.' NO LEAD-IN YELLOW LINE FROM OUR POS BEHIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES CREW HAS BEEN BACK TO SAN TWICE AND CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT LIGHTS THEY SAW AND LINED UP WITH. HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED THERE ARE 2 TAXIWAY LINES TO GUIDE TO RWY. THEY HAD COME FROM THE FBO AND WERE POSITIONED IN BTWN THE LINES SO DID NOT SEE THEM ON THIS WIDE RAMP AREA. THE FLT MGR SAYS THAT A CREW DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING 2 YRS AGO. THAT IS WHY COMPANY HAD A TRAINING SESSION FOR THEIR PLTS.

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.