Charter pilot takeoff on wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	202962
Time
Date	199202
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hut
State Reference	KS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1070 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	202962
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATIS informed landing 31, departing 35. Ground instructed me to taxi to 35. Being unfamiliar with the airport, I followed the signs and did my run up at the hold short line. Upon telling tower I was ready on 35, I was told to taxi into position and hold. I read back the clearance and began taxiing. As I began my turn to straighten out on the runway, I was told to fly runway heading and I was cleared for takeoff. Without stopping, I accelerated and began my takeoff roll. Tower asked me if I had understood my clearance (they were looking for me) when, upon sighting me told me that I had taken off on a closed runway (runway 3.) at that point, I had already rotated and was airborne. I do not recall seeing an X on the runway. I had aligned my compass with my directional gyroscope during my runup, but because my 'position and hold' clearance was superseded with a takeoff clearance, I did not double check the heading on the runway, as I should have. I also should have become more familiar with the airport diagram to know that both runways 35 and 3 originated very close to one another. Although it is not their responsibility, I believe that if tower had looked for me before issuing the takeoff clearance rather tan after, he would have seen that I was lining up on the wrong runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER PLT TKOF ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative: ATIS INFORMED LNDG 31, DEPARTING 35. GND INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO 35. BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, I FOLLOWED THE SIGNS AND DID MY RUN UP AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE. UPON TELLING TWR I WAS READY ON 35, I WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND BEGAN TAXIING. AS I BEGAN MY TURN TO STRAIGHTEN OUT ON THE RWY, I WAS TOLD TO FLY RWY HDG AND I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. WITHOUT STOPPING, I ACCELERATED AND BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL. TWR ASKED ME IF I HAD UNDERSTOOD MY CLRNC (THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME) WHEN, UPON SIGHTING ME TOLD ME THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF ON A CLOSED RWY (RWY 3.) AT THAT POINT, I HAD ALREADY ROTATED AND WAS AIRBORNE. I DO NOT RECALL SEEING AN X ON THE RWY. I HAD ALIGNED MY COMPASS WITH MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE DURING MY RUNUP, BUT BECAUSE MY 'POSITION AND HOLD' CLRNC WAS SUPERSEDED WITH A TKOF CLRNC, I DID NOT DOUBLE CHK THE HDG ON THE RWY, AS I SHOULD HAVE. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT DIAGRAM TO KNOW THAT BOTH RWYS 35 AND 3 ORIGINATED VERY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, I BELIEVE THAT IF TWR HAD LOOKED FOR ME BEFORE ISSUING THE TKOF CLRNC RATHER TAN AFTER, HE WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT I WAS LINING UP ON THE WRONG 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.