Narrative:

Cleared for takeoff -- almost started to roll on wrong runway. We landed on runway 34R about 1 hour late. The time was XX20 rno time, XZ20 our body time in dfw. I knew runway 34L/16R was closed, but I had landed on runway 16R/34L on all previous trips into rno. The fact that there were men and equipment on that runway was not foremost in my mind as I was taking off the opposite direction from which we had landed that evening. We had an acs fault after push in rno and that slowed our departure a bit more from our already late situation. I may have been affected by the sleep deficiency and desire to expedite our departure and fell into my previous habit of taking off on runway 16R. We were actually cleared for takeoff on runway 16L. It was necessary for us to cross runway 16R to get to runway 16L for takeoff. I accepted the clearance and proceeded to turn onto runway 16R for takeoff. Turned my lights on then received the call from tower telling us we were on the wrong runway. We just taxied forward to the next taxiway, crossed runway 16L and made left turns around to make our takeoff on runway 16L. I'm not certain that I would have seen the men working on the runway in time to abort or avoid hitting their equipment so the call from tower may have saved all of our lives. This was a real dumb thing to do. Probably the dumbest I've done. I will double my efforts to slow down the operation when I'm tired and late. Haste makes waste. Vigilance by tower and the workers on the runway saved this crew. I don't know if the runway workers' supervisor has continuous contact with the tower or not, but I think he should stop his activity to watch every departing flight as it takes the runway to make sure a disaster can be prevented, as it was in our case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MD90 STARTED TO TKOF ON A CLOSED RWY DURING NIGHT OPS WITH MEN AND EQUIP ON THE RWY. THE LCL TWR CTLR INTERVENED AND STOPPED HIM JUST BEFORE PWR WAS ADVANCED FOR TKOF.

Narrative: CLRED FOR TKOF -- ALMOST STARTED TO ROLL ON WRONG RWY. WE LANDED ON RWY 34R ABOUT 1 HR LATE. THE TIME WAS XX20 RNO TIME, XZ20 OUR BODY TIME IN DFW. I KNEW RWY 34L/16R WAS CLOSED, BUT I HAD LANDED ON RWY 16R/34L ON ALL PREVIOUS TRIPS INTO RNO. THE FACT THAT THERE WERE MEN AND EQUIP ON THAT RWY WAS NOT FOREMOST IN MY MIND AS I WAS TAKING OFF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM WHICH WE HAD LANDED THAT EVENING. WE HAD AN ACS FAULT AFTER PUSH IN RNO AND THAT SLOWED OUR DEP A BIT MORE FROM OUR ALREADY LATE SIT. I MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE SLEEP DEFICIENCY AND DESIRE TO EXPEDITE OUR DEP AND FELL INTO MY PREVIOUS HABIT OF TAKING OFF ON RWY 16R. WE WERE ACTUALLY CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 16L. IT WAS NECESSARY FOR US TO CROSS RWY 16R TO GET TO RWY 16L FOR TKOF. I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC AND PROCEEDED TO TURN ONTO RWY 16R FOR TKOF. TURNED MY LIGHTS ON THEN RECEIVED THE CALL FROM TWR TELLING US WE WERE ON THE WRONG RWY. WE JUST TAXIED FORWARD TO THE NEXT TXWY, CROSSED RWY 16L AND MADE L TURNS AROUND TO MAKE OUR TKOF ON RWY 16L. I'M NOT CERTAIN THAT I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE MEN WORKING ON THE RWY IN TIME TO ABORT OR AVOID HITTING THEIR EQUIP SO THE CALL FROM TWR MAY HAVE SAVED ALL OF OUR LIVES. THIS WAS A REAL DUMB THING TO DO. PROBABLY THE DUMBEST I'VE DONE. I WILL DOUBLE MY EFFORTS TO SLOW DOWN THE OP WHEN I'M TIRED AND LATE. HASTE MAKES WASTE. VIGILANCE BY TWR AND THE WORKERS ON THE RWY SAVED THIS CREW. I DON'T KNOW IF THE RWY WORKERS' SUPVR HAS CONTINUOUS CONTACT WITH THE TWR OR NOT, BUT I THINK HE SHOULD STOP HIS ACTIVITY TO WATCH EVERY DEPARTING FLT AS IT TAKES THE RWY TO MAKE SURE A DISASTER CAN BE PREVENTED, AS IT WAS IN OUR CASE.

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.