Narrative:

As I approached runway 20C at nashville for departure, ground asked if I needed a runup and I said no I had done it, they said contact tower, I did and they first said taxi into position and hold and I read it back, they then said cleared for takeoff fly heading 110 degrees and I acknowledged. I had flown into nashville many times, but not lately. Runway 20C which I had used before on trips had its markings obliterated and was made into a parallel taxiway. Runway 20C is just to the west and parallel to it. With the sun on the obliterated markings I taxied onto the parallel runway and proceeded with the takeoff roll, thinking they needed me to expedite. The end of runway 20C and the taxiway is now all paved and is hard to differentiate in the glare of the sun. As I began the takeoff roll I could with different sun glare see the runway markings were obliterated and not current and that the lights were blue. I knew I was on the taxiway. Almost at the same second tower came on and said you are on the taxiway and something to the effect, cleared for takeoff from the taxiway or something like that. By this time I had rotated and felt it was safer to continue. No traffic was on the taxiway and no conflicts occurred. Departure asked I call the supervisor upon landing at my destination. I did and explained the situation to him. The old markings should not just be obliterated, so it is clearly a taxiway with yellow lines which are not faded out in the sun's glare. Also, if I had taxied into position and held tower could have time to spot the error. Had I not have been there many times before I would have also 'searched' for the runway, not taxied onto the old runway as before. A friend told me they warned incoming pilots landing of the switch when the new runway was offered. It is still a source of possible problems, which I will be aware of in the future. See back of airport blow up. On nov/xx/94 I got a call from the nashville tower chief saying they would not pursue any action in the matter. Apparently this has and is still a problem for nashville controllers for lndgs and takeoffs. He said a plane landed on the taxiway within the first hour of opening the new runway. In my case he said a citation spooled up and tried to depart on the taxiway but the tower caught him first, just prior to my departure. Just after my departure an air carrier jet tried to use the taxiway for takeoff. He said the airport and flight standards office was trying to correct the dangerous situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTDEV OLD RWY MARKINGS.

Narrative: AS I APCHED RWY 20C AT NASHVILLE FOR DEP, GND ASKED IF I NEEDED A RUNUP AND I SAID NO I HAD DONE IT, THEY SAID CONTACT TWR, I DID AND THEY FIRST SAID TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AND I READ IT BACK, THEY THEN SAID CLRED FOR TKOF FLY HDG 110 DEGS AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. I HAD FLOWN INTO NASHVILLE MANY TIMES, BUT NOT LATELY. RWY 20C WHICH I HAD USED BEFORE ON TRIPS HAD ITS MARKINGS OBLITERATED AND WAS MADE INTO A PARALLEL TXWY. RWY 20C IS JUST TO THE W AND PARALLEL TO IT. WITH THE SUN ON THE OBLITERATED MARKINGS I TAXIED ONTO THE PARALLEL RWY AND PROCEEDED WITH THE TKOF ROLL, THINKING THEY NEEDED ME TO EXPEDITE. THE END OF RWY 20C AND THE TXWY IS NOW ALL PAVED AND IS HARD TO DIFFERENTIATE IN THE GLARE OF THE SUN. AS I BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL I COULD WITH DIFFERENT SUN GLARE SEE THE RWY MARKINGS WERE OBLITERATED AND NOT CURRENT AND THAT THE LIGHTS WERE BLUE. I KNEW I WAS ON THE TXWY. ALMOST AT THE SAME SECOND TWR CAME ON AND SAID YOU ARE ON THE TXWY AND SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, CLRED FOR TKOF FROM THE TXWY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BY THIS TIME I HAD ROTATED AND FELT IT WAS SAFER TO CONTINUE. NO TFC WAS ON THE TXWY AND NO CONFLICTS OCCURRED. DEP ASKED I CALL THE SUPVR UPON LNDG AT MY DEST. I DID AND EXPLAINED THE SIT TO HIM. THE OLD MARKINGS SHOULD NOT JUST BE OBLITERATED, SO IT IS CLRLY A TXWY WITH YELLOW LINES WHICH ARE NOT FADED OUT IN THE SUN'S GLARE. ALSO, IF I HAD TAXIED INTO POS AND HELD TWR COULD HAVE TIME TO SPOT THE ERROR. HAD I NOT HAVE BEEN THERE MANY TIMES BEFORE I WOULD HAVE ALSO 'SEARCHED' FOR THE RWY, NOT TAXIED ONTO THE OLD RWY AS BEFORE. A FRIEND TOLD ME THEY WARNED INCOMING PLTS LNDG OF THE SWITCH WHEN THE NEW RWY WAS OFFERED. IT IS STILL A SOURCE OF POSSIBLE PROBS, WHICH I WILL BE AWARE OF IN THE FUTURE. SEE BACK OF ARPT BLOW UP. ON NOV/XX/94 I GOT A CALL FROM THE NASHVILLE TWR CHIEF SAYING THEY WOULD NOT PURSUE ANY ACTION IN THE MATTER. APPARENTLY THIS HAS AND IS STILL A PROB FOR NASHVILLE CTLRS FOR LNDGS AND TKOFS. HE SAID A PLANE LANDED ON THE TXWY WITHIN THE FIRST HR OF OPENING THE NEW RWY. IN MY CASE HE SAID A CITATION SPOOLED UP AND TRIED TO DEPART ON THE TXWY BUT THE TWR CAUGHT HIM FIRST, JUST PRIOR TO MY DEP. JUST AFTER MY DEP AN ACR JET TRIED TO USE THE TXWY FOR TKOF. HE SAID THE ARPT AND FLT STANDARDS OFFICE WAS TRYING TO CORRECT THE DANGEROUS SIT.

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.