Narrative:

Received ATIS lit. Had landed runway 18 30 mins earlier for refuel en route sat. Requested runway 18, heading south, same runway as arrival. On taxi to runway 18/36 parallel out of central FBO, east of taxiway, I noted v-tail bonanza taking off my right to left. On runway 18/36 I turned right on parallel taxiway, to end of taxiway. Runway sign board at end of taxiway (see airport diagram) shows direction to runway 18/36 and runway 4L/22R. My mental imprint was turn left runway 18, I turned onto runway so marked and took off after cleared by tower. On climb out over end of runway, lit tower asked, 'what is your heading?' I looked at HSI and saw 360 degrees, immediately realizing mistake of opposite takeoff, and told tower, with new heading south and no traffic conflict. Problems. I turned right hand 180 degrees in my mind. I had just landed runway 18, planned runway 18 takeoff. Saw traffic departing, what I thought was runway 18. Taxied to same takeoff spot as this traffic. Saw sign board at runway end, with narrow visual focus on left turn runway 18 and departed opposite runway. Personal recommend, I was diverted cockpit activity and did not check HSI or compass before takeoff or during taxi, must do so to confirm correct heading, and not be misled by immediate prior departing traffic heading. Lit recommend, the airport markings are limited and confusing. I returned to lit next day and checked the markings, this time correctly departing assigned runway 36. There was no runway or taxi direction sign board leaving the central ramp (a very busy FBO). There should be a sign board at the head of ramp as at other busy airports. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter accepts that he made an error in taxiing to the wrong end of the runway and compounded the problem by then taking off on that runway. However, he requests that the FAA look at changing the signs at the end of runways so they show only the numbers for the particular runway's takeoff end and not its reciprocal. In this case, he would have seen the numbers 36 and not 18-36. The change, the pilot asserts, would make his error even more difficult to commit in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TKOF UNAUTH RWY -- PLT WAS CLRED TO TKOF ON RWY 18 AND INSTEAD MADE THE TKOF ON RWY 36. BLAMES THE SIGN DESIGN, IN PART.

Narrative: RECEIVED ATIS LIT. HAD LANDED RWY 18 30 MINS EARLIER FOR REFUEL ENRTE SAT. REQUESTED RWY 18, HDG S, SAME RWY AS ARR. ON TAXI TO RWY 18/36 PARALLEL OUT OF CENTRAL FBO, E OF TXWY, I NOTED V-TAIL BONANZA TAKING OFF MY R TO L. ON RWY 18/36 I TURNED R ON PARALLEL TXWY, TO END OF TXWY. RWY SIGN BOARD AT END OF TXWY (SEE ARPT DIAGRAM) SHOWS DIRECTION TO RWY 18/36 AND RWY 4L/22R. MY MENTAL IMPRINT WAS TURN L RWY 18, I TURNED ONTO RWY SO MARKED AND TOOK OFF AFTER CLRED BY TWR. ON CLBOUT OVER END OF RWY, LIT TWR ASKED, 'WHAT IS YOUR HDG?' I LOOKED AT HSI AND SAW 360 DEGS, IMMEDIATELY REALIZING MISTAKE OF OPPOSITE TKOF, AND TOLD TWR, WITH NEW HDG S AND NO TFC CONFLICT. PROBS. I TURNED R HAND 180 DEGS IN MY MIND. I HAD JUST LANDED RWY 18, PLANNED RWY 18 TKOF. SAW TFC DEPARTING, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 18. TAXIED TO SAME TKOF SPOT AS THIS TFC. SAW SIGN BOARD AT RWY END, WITH NARROW VISUAL FOCUS ON LEFT TURN RWY 18 AND DEPARTED OPPOSITE RWY. PERSONAL RECOMMEND, I WAS DIVERTED COCKPIT ACTIVITY AND DID NOT CHK HSI OR COMPASS BEFORE TKOF OR DURING TAXI, MUST DO SO TO CONFIRM CORRECT HDG, AND NOT BE MISLED BY IMMEDIATE PRIOR DEPARTING TFC HDG. LIT RECOMMEND, THE ARPT MARKINGS ARE LIMITED AND CONFUSING. I RETURNED TO LIT NEXT DAY AND CHKED THE MARKINGS, THIS TIME CORRECTLY DEPARTING ASSIGNED RWY 36. THERE WAS NO RWY OR TAXI DIRECTION SIGN BOARD LEAVING THE CENTRAL RAMP (A VERY BUSY FBO). THERE SHOULD BE A SIGN BOARD AT THE HEAD OF RAMP AS AT OTHER BUSY ARPTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ACCEPTS THAT HE MADE AN ERROR IN TAXIING TO THE WRONG END OF THE RWY AND COMPOUNDED THE PROB BY THEN TAKING OFF ON THAT RWY. HOWEVER, HE REQUESTS THAT THE FAA LOOK AT CHANGING THE SIGNS AT THE END OF RWYS SO THEY SHOW ONLY THE NUMBERS FOR THE PARTICULAR RWY'S TKOF END AND NOT ITS RECIPROCAL. IN THIS CASE, HE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE NUMBERS 36 AND NOT 18-36. THE CHANGE, THE PLT ASSERTS, WOULD MAKE HIS ERROR EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO COMMIT IN THE FUTURE.

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.