Narrative:

Because of a lengthy hold at the end of the runway, we were running late on this time critical flight. I was exhausted, having worked 13-15 hours per day for weeks, and having checked out in a high performance twin earlier in the day. When cleared for takeoff, I intercepted the centerline (I thought) on a 45 degree angle, and commenced my takeoff run. The runway is extremely wide (350 ft with 200 ft load bearing) so the edge lights were far from the edge of the pavement. My copilot started flailing his arms, I asked him what was wrong -- no answer. I then shouted, 'is anything wrong?' he said 'no.' I continued the takeoff, heard and felt a bang. The airplane started shaking. I suspected a blown tire, so I pulled the mixture to 'idle cutoff.' when we stopped, I realized that I was tracking the white edge lights and stripe, not the centerline. I had struck the edge light with the propeller, breaking the edge light and the propeller. The controller and line personnel said that this happens frequently, (once or twice a month). At night, the crown in the runway makes the centerline lights appear as the left edge lights, if you are on the right side. Although I have departed at night, dozens of times from this runway, in all kinds of WX, my near exhaustion and my desire to make schedule set me up for this illusion. My copilot bought into it too. This runway should have definite edge markings and visible lead in lights from the taxiway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the FAA is requiring an oral review on taxiing. He lost his job over this incident. He is a very careful pilot and this incident has been devastating. Even while being towed back to the hangar he and the copilot still had the same illusion that these lights were the centerline lights. The runway is so wide and about 75 ft on each side is unusable area. However, the diagonal stripes on this area are so faded they are almost not visible. Reporter feels they should be repainted with some kind of reflective paint. It is so easy to line up on the outside of the runway edge lights. He also feels there should be a visible and direct line to the centerline of the runway. Reporter has made a personal rule to never take an angle from the taxiway to the center of the runway but to always follow a direct line to the center. He knows that fatigue played a major role in his judgement in this incident as did schedule pressure and delays prior to the departure. Reporter also feels there may have been some sense of not wanting to taxi to runway 18L which is just a short distance beyond runway 18R. He thinks a reflective paint marking indicating the taxiway line which leads to runway 18L would help assure that one has not taxied too far. The aircraft was a cherokee 6 in which one sits much lower than he is used to which may also have contributed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHEROKEE 6 CARGO FLT LINES UP WITH RWY EDGE LIGHTS INSTEAD OF CTRLINE. PROP HITS EDGE LIGHTS. (PA32).

Narrative: BECAUSE OF A LENGTHY HOLD AT THE END OF THE RWY, WE WERE RUNNING LATE ON THIS TIME CRITICAL FLT. I WAS EXHAUSTED, HAVING WORKED 13-15 HRS PER DAY FOR WKS, AND HAVING CHKED OUT IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE TWIN EARLIER IN THE DAY. WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF, I INTERCEPTED THE CTRLINE (I THOUGHT) ON A 45 DEG ANGLE, AND COMMENCED MY TKOF RUN. THE RWY IS EXTREMELY WIDE (350 FT WITH 200 FT LOAD BEARING) SO THE EDGE LIGHTS WERE FAR FROM THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT. MY COPLT STARTED FLAILING HIS ARMS, I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS WRONG -- NO ANSWER. I THEN SHOUTED, 'IS ANYTHING WRONG?' HE SAID 'NO.' I CONTINUED THE TKOF, HEARD AND FELT A BANG. THE AIRPLANE STARTED SHAKING. I SUSPECTED A BLOWN TIRE, SO I PULLED THE MIXTURE TO 'IDLE CUTOFF.' WHEN WE STOPPED, I REALIZED THAT I WAS TRACKING THE WHITE EDGE LIGHTS AND STRIPE, NOT THE CTRLINE. I HAD STRUCK THE EDGE LIGHT WITH THE PROP, BREAKING THE EDGE LIGHT AND THE PROP. THE CTLR AND LINE PERSONNEL SAID THAT THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY, (ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH). AT NIGHT, THE CROWN IN THE RWY MAKES THE CTRLINE LIGHTS APPEAR AS THE L EDGE LIGHTS, IF YOU ARE ON THE R SIDE. ALTHOUGH I HAVE DEPARTED AT NIGHT, DOZENS OF TIMES FROM THIS RWY, IN ALL KINDS OF WX, MY NEAR EXHAUSTION AND MY DESIRE TO MAKE SCHEDULE SET ME UP FOR THIS ILLUSION. MY COPLT BOUGHT INTO IT TOO. THIS RWY SHOULD HAVE DEFINITE EDGE MARKINGS AND VISIBLE LEAD IN LIGHTS FROM THE TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE FAA IS REQUIRING AN ORAL REVIEW ON TAXIING. HE LOST HIS JOB OVER THIS INCIDENT. HE IS A VERY CAREFUL PLT AND THIS INCIDENT HAS BEEN DEVASTATING. EVEN WHILE BEING TOWED BACK TO THE HANGAR HE AND THE COPLT STILL HAD THE SAME ILLUSION THAT THESE LIGHTS WERE THE CTRLINE LIGHTS. THE RWY IS SO WIDE AND ABOUT 75 FT ON EACH SIDE IS UNUSABLE AREA. HOWEVER, THE DIAGONAL STRIPES ON THIS AREA ARE SO FADED THEY ARE ALMOST NOT VISIBLE. RPTR FEELS THEY SHOULD BE REPAINTED WITH SOME KIND OF REFLECTIVE PAINT. IT IS SO EASY TO LINE UP ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. HE ALSO FEELS THERE SHOULD BE A VISIBLE AND DIRECT LINE TO THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY. RPTR HAS MADE A PERSONAL RULE TO NEVER TAKE AN ANGLE FROM THE TXWY TO THE CTR OF THE RWY BUT TO ALWAYS FOLLOW A DIRECT LINE TO THE CTR. HE KNOWS THAT FATIGUE PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN HIS JUDGEMENT IN THIS INCIDENT AS DID SCHEDULE PRESSURE AND DELAYS PRIOR TO THE DEP. RPTR ALSO FEELS THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME SENSE OF NOT WANTING TO TAXI TO RWY 18L WHICH IS JUST A SHORT DISTANCE BEYOND RWY 18R. HE THINKS A REFLECTIVE PAINT MARKING INDICATING THE TXWY LINE WHICH LEADS TO RWY 18L WOULD HELP ASSURE THAT ONE HAS NOT TAXIED TOO FAR. THE ACFT WAS A CHEROKEE 6 IN WHICH ONE SITS MUCH LOWER THAN HE IS USED TO WHICH MAY ALSO HAVE CONTRIBUTED.

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.