Narrative:

The occurrence happened several days after the biggest snow storm of february. It was a clear sunny day. The ATIS golf recorded advisory stated runway 10/28 was closed and runway 33L/right were in use. The wind was 330 degrees at 6 KTS, barometer was 30.43 I was given clearance to taxi from the FBO along the south taxiway to runway 33L for takeoff. I taxied to a position on the south taxiway just south 200 ft of runway 33L and performed my runup and equipment check and instrument settings. After receiving clearance to takeoff from the tower I taxied to threshold of what I thought was runway 33L. I turned the airplane in the direction of runway 15R and looked for any arriving traffic. All was clear. I turned the airplane until the directional gyro showed 33, looked down what I thought was runway 33L, and took off. Once in the air the tower call me and advised me to make a left turn to get on course. Seconds later they asked me if I realized I took off on the east taxiway! I told them I was not aware I had done it. With the snow covering all the runway signs and markings it was easy to be confused, especially when the directional gyro showed 33. Under normal conditions runway 10/24 is on your left when using runway 33L, but because of the snow conditions and the directional gyro indication it turned out the runway on the left was 33L and I was heading down the east taxiway. I was airborne in seconds and made the turn easily avoiding any problems. When I returned to the airport 3 hours later, I called the tower to discuss the problems of the snow covered identifiers on the runways. All of the runway signs were covered with snow as were the painted numbers on the runways. The ATIS message of runway 10/28 closed did not say it was completely snow covered and not plowed at all. The confusion was because of the snow covered identifiers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY TKOF.

Narrative: THE OCCURRENCE HAPPENED SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE BIGGEST SNOW STORM OF FEBRUARY. IT WAS A CLR SUNNY DAY. THE ATIS GOLF RECORDED ADVISORY STATED RWY 10/28 WAS CLOSED AND RWY 33L/R WERE IN USE. THE WIND WAS 330 DEGS AT 6 KTS, BAROMETER WAS 30.43 I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI FROM THE FBO ALONG THE S TXWY TO RWY 33L FOR TKOF. I TAXIED TO A POS ON THE S TXWY JUST S 200 FT OF RWY 33L AND PERFORMED MY RUNUP AND EQUIP CHK AND INST SETTINGS. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC TO TKOF FROM THE TWR I TAXIED TO THRESHOLD OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 33L. I TURNED THE AIRPLANE IN THE DIRECTION OF RWY 15R AND LOOKED FOR ANY ARRIVING TFC. ALL WAS CLR. I TURNED THE AIRPLANE UNTIL THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO SHOWED 33, LOOKED DOWN WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 33L, AND TOOK OFF. ONCE IN THE AIR THE TWR CALL ME AND ADVISED ME TO MAKE A L TURN TO GET ON COURSE. SECONDS LATER THEY ASKED ME IF I REALIZED I TOOK OFF ON THE E TXWY! I TOLD THEM I WAS NOT AWARE I HAD DONE IT. WITH THE SNOW COVERING ALL THE RWY SIGNS AND MARKINGS IT WAS EASY TO BE CONFUSED, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO SHOWED 33. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS RWY 10/24 IS ON YOUR L WHEN USING RWY 33L, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SNOW CONDITIONS AND THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO INDICATION IT TURNED OUT THE RWY ON THE L WAS 33L AND I WAS HDG DOWN THE EAST TXWY. I WAS AIRBORNE IN SECONDS AND MADE THE TURN EASILY AVOIDING ANY PROBS. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ARPT 3 HRS LATER, I CALLED THE TWR TO DISCUSS THE PROBS OF THE SNOW COVERED IDENTIFIERS ON THE RWYS. ALL OF THE RWY SIGNS WERE COVERED WITH SNOW AS WERE THE PAINTED NUMBERS ON THE RWYS. THE ATIS MESSAGE OF RWY 10/28 CLOSED DID NOT SAY IT WAS COMPLETELY SNOW COVERED AND NOT PLOWED AT ALL. THE CONFUSION WAS BECAUSE OF THE SNOW COVERED IDENTIFIERS.

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.