Narrative:

I was directed by charlotte ground control to turn left onto taxiway D from the FBO ramp and to proceed on taxiway D to the intersection D2 for departure. While there, doing my run-up checks, a jet emerged out of the fog (RVR was about 3000 ft) taxiing south toward me on taxiway D. When I saw him approach, I interrupted my run-up to move my plane somewhat east of his path and the entrance of the runway to allow him to depart before me in case he was ready to go. He stopped just short of D2 and was evidently completing some checks also. When I completed my run-up and noticed that he was still doing checks of his own, I turned my plane wbound, switched to the tower frequency and taxied a short distance to the hold line which was forward of the jet's position. Before I could make contact with the tower, they spoke first and asked if I was #1 for departure (they could not see us, nor could we see them, because of the fog). The jet replied that it was now #2 for departure. I then transmitted my registration number and announced that I was #1 for departure at D2. The tower cleared me for immediate takeoff, stating that there was a jet on 3 mi final. I mistakenly thought the takeoff clearance was for my intended direction of flight to the south, so I made a left turn onto runway 18L and expedited my departure. While climbing out sbound, in solid IMC, I think I heard a transmission from another aircraft stating something about a wrong turn. Shortly thereafter I received a vector (I believe it was to 050 degrees) which I executed immediately in the shortest direction to the left. The controller was critical of my selection of that direction for the turn and asked me to execute it in the opposite direction, which I did immediately. He then asked me to check to see if my magnetic compass and my directional gyro were in agreement. There had been less than 10 degrees precession and I made the minor adjustment. After receiving a couple of more vectors, I was headed south again and cleared direct to the columbia VOR. A little later en route, I was asked in which direction I had turned on to the runway from D2. I replied I had made a right turn. However, I later realized I had in fact made a left turn on to the runway from D2. Subsequently I was asked by a different controller to copy a phone number (clt tower) and to call it collect upon landing at kissimmee, fl. Orlando approach had the same message for me upon entering their area and 2 representatives from the local FSDO were waiting for me upon landing at ism. They informed me that I had taken off in the wrong direction at clt and had been involved in a 'near miss' incident. I was shocked, as I had not seen the opposing traffic. Supplemental information from acn 327142: a C182 took off on runway 18L into the path of our flight on final approach to runway 36R. Our first indication of a problem was hearing a departing flight (air carrier) say, 'that plane took off south!' we glanced at our TCASII and observed the conflicting traffic. Tower told us to make an immediate left turn to heading 330 degrees. We made the missed approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT CONFUSED DIRECTION OF TKOF AFTER RECEIVING AN IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC. AN ACR FLC ON THE GND NOTICED THE MISTAKE, AND WARNED THE TWR AND INBOUND COMPANY TFC ON FREQ. ATCT LCL CTLR ATTEMPTED TO VECTOR THE TARGETS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, BUT THE ACR ACFT STILL CAME WITHIN 200 FT VERTLY OF THE CESSNA.

Narrative: I WAS DIRECTED BY CHARLOTTE GND CTL TO TURN L ONTO TXWY D FROM THE FBO RAMP AND TO PROCEED ON TXWY D TO THE INTXN D2 FOR DEP. WHILE THERE, DOING MY RUN-UP CHKS, A JET EMERGED OUT OF THE FOG (RVR WAS ABOUT 3000 FT) TAXIING S TOWARD ME ON TXWY D. WHEN I SAW HIM APCH, I INTERRUPTED MY RUN-UP TO MOVE MY PLANE SOMEWHAT E OF HIS PATH AND THE ENTRANCE OF THE RWY TO ALLOW HIM TO DEPART BEFORE ME IN CASE HE WAS READY TO GO. HE STOPPED JUST SHORT OF D2 AND WAS EVIDENTLY COMPLETING SOME CHKS ALSO. WHEN I COMPLETED MY RUN-UP AND NOTICED THAT HE WAS STILL DOING CHKS OF HIS OWN, I TURNED MY PLANE WBOUND, SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ AND TAXIED A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE HOLD LINE WHICH WAS FORWARD OF THE JET'S POS. BEFORE I COULD MAKE CONTACT WITH THE TWR, THEY SPOKE FIRST AND ASKED IF I WAS #1 FOR DEP (THEY COULD NOT SEE US, NOR COULD WE SEE THEM, BECAUSE OF THE FOG). THE JET REPLIED THAT IT WAS NOW #2 FOR DEP. I THEN XMITTED MY REGISTRATION NUMBER AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS #1 FOR DEP AT D2. THE TWR CLRED ME FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF, STATING THAT THERE WAS A JET ON 3 MI FINAL. I MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THE TKOF CLRNC WAS FOR MY INTENDED DIRECTION OF FLT TO THE S, SO I MADE A L TURN ONTO RWY 18L AND EXPEDITED MY DEP. WHILE CLBING OUT SBOUND, IN SOLID IMC, I THINK I HEARD A XMISSION FROM ANOTHER ACFT STATING SOMETHING ABOUT A WRONG TURN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I RECEIVED A VECTOR (I BELIEVE IT WAS TO 050 DEGS) WHICH I EXECUTED IMMEDIATELY IN THE SHORTEST DIRECTION TO THE L. THE CTLR WAS CRITICAL OF MY SELECTION OF THAT DIRECTION FOR THE TURN AND ASKED ME TO EXECUTE IT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY. HE THEN ASKED ME TO CHK TO SEE IF MY MAGNETIC COMPASS AND MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WERE IN AGREEMENT. THERE HAD BEEN LESS THAN 10 DEGS PRECESSION AND I MADE THE MINOR ADJUSTMENT. AFTER RECEIVING A COUPLE OF MORE VECTORS, I WAS HEADED S AGAIN AND CLRED DIRECT TO THE COLUMBIA VOR. A LITTLE LATER ENRTE, I WAS ASKED IN WHICH DIRECTION I HAD TURNED ON TO THE RWY FROM D2. I REPLIED I HAD MADE A R TURN. HOWEVER, I LATER REALIZED I HAD IN FACT MADE A L TURN ON TO THE RWY FROM D2. SUBSEQUENTLY I WAS ASKED BY A DIFFERENT CTLR TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER (CLT TWR) AND TO CALL IT COLLECT UPON LNDG AT KISSIMMEE, FL. ORLANDO APCH HAD THE SAME MESSAGE FOR ME UPON ENTERING THEIR AREA AND 2 REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LCL FSDO WERE WAITING FOR ME UPON LNDG AT ISM. THEY INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AT CLT AND HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A 'NEAR MISS' INCIDENT. I WAS SHOCKED, AS I HAD NOT SEEN THE OPPOSING TFC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 327142: A C182 TOOK OFF ON RWY 18L INTO THE PATH OF OUR FLT ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 36R. OUR FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB WAS HEARING A DEPARTING FLT (ACR) SAY, 'THAT PLANE TOOK OFF S!' WE GLANCED AT OUR TCASII AND OBSERVED THE CONFLICTING TFC. TWR TOLD US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO HDG 330 DEGS. WE MADE THE MISSED APCH.

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.