Narrative:

Aircraft pushed back from gate at hobby (hou) airport. The time was approximately AM30, nighttime conditions, well before sunrise. It was my leg as first officer from hou to den. The aircraft was cleared to taxi to runway 4 on taxiway C, O, and I. Runways 35 and 4 were active. Final weights were slow in coming over ACARS and were set in the FMC late on taxiway O. A turn was made to taxiway I and we were 'cleared for takeoff runway 4 turn left to a heading of 35 degrees.' turning onto taxiway I, I updated the runway in the FMC and completed the before takeoff checklist. At this location on hobby taxiway I intersects both runway 4 (a 90 degree turn) and runway 35 (a 45 degree turn). Since I had not heard a wind I requested a 'wind check' as the captain completed his turn onto the runway. The reply was a wind of 070/6. This was more of a crosswind component than I expected at the time. The captain advised 'you have the throttles' and 'you have the aircraft' as he completed the turn. I advanced the throttles slightly to begin engine spool up and made a comment that this did not 'look right' based on the wind. Simultaneously the crew and the tower recognized the error -- we were on runway 35 in lieu of runway 4. Power was reduced to idle (speed was below 20 KTS). The toga button had not yet been pushed. Tower transmitted we were on runway 35 and indicated we were cleared for takeoff on that runway. We advised we requested runway 4. A 180 degree turn was made on runway 35. Subsequent takeoff on runway 4 was uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 228867: simultaneously with our realization tower called, said '5000 ft remaining, cleared for takeoff runway 35.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY TKOF ABORTED AT LOW SPD AT HOU.

Narrative: ACFT PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AT HOBBY (HOU) ARPT. THE TIME WAS APPROX AM30, NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS, WELL BEFORE SUNRISE. IT WAS MY LEG AS FO FROM HOU TO DEN. THE ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 4 ON TXWY C, O, AND I. RWYS 35 AND 4 WERE ACTIVE. FINAL WTS WERE SLOW IN COMING OVER ACARS AND WERE SET IN THE FMC LATE ON TXWY O. A TURN WAS MADE TO TXWY I AND WE WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 4 TURN L TO A HDG OF 35 DEGS.' TURNING ONTO TXWY I, I UPDATED THE RWY IN THE FMC AND COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. AT THIS LOCATION ON HOBBY TXWY I INTERSECTS BOTH RWY 4 (A 90 DEG TURN) AND RWY 35 (A 45 DEG TURN). SINCE I HAD NOT HEARD A WIND I REQUESTED A 'WIND CHK' AS THE CAPT COMPLETED HIS TURN ONTO THE RWY. THE REPLY WAS A WIND OF 070/6. THIS WAS MORE OF A XWIND COMPONENT THAN I EXPECTED AT THE TIME. THE CAPT ADVISED 'YOU HAVE THE THROTTLES' AND 'YOU HAVE THE ACFT' AS HE COMPLETED THE TURN. I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES SLIGHTLY TO BEGIN ENG SPOOL UP AND MADE A COMMENT THAT THIS DID NOT 'LOOK RIGHT' BASED ON THE WIND. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CREW AND THE TWR RECOGNIZED THE ERROR -- WE WERE ON RWY 35 IN LIEU OF RWY 4. PWR WAS REDUCED TO IDLE (SPD WAS BELOW 20 KTS). THE TOGA BUTTON HAD NOT YET BEEN PUSHED. TWR XMITTED WE WERE ON RWY 35 AND INDICATED WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON THAT RWY. WE ADVISED WE REQUESTED RWY 4. A 180 DEG TURN WAS MADE ON RWY 35. SUBSEQUENT TKOF ON RWY 4 WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 228867: SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH OUR REALIZATION TWR CALLED, SAID '5000 FT REMAINING, CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 35.'

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.