Narrative:

On nov/xa/98 at approximately XA15 at dtw, I was instructed by metropolitan ground to taxi runway 21L at intersection S4. Reaching the intersection, metropolitan tower instructed me to 'turn left heading 120 degrees, cleared for takeoff.' completing the final takeoff checklist items, I taxied onto the runway asking to verify a left turnout because it was the long way around. After an acknowledgement from tower, I took off. Once airborne, tower notified me that I had departed runway 3R. At that moment, I realized that I had made the wrong turn onto the runway and departed the wrong way. The main cause of the problem was a momentary lapse of situational awareness. Upon looking up from the checklist, the last thing I saw was the red and white runway sign (runway 3R/21L). Seeing the runway 21L to the right of the other runway, I made a right turn onto the runway instead of a left. Other contributing factors were a diverted attention while taxiing onto the runway. I was looking down to find the landing lights to turn them on for takeoff. Complacency in different equipment is another. The equipment I typically have been flying had an HSI which I would set to the runway I would depart, and set the heading bug to the assigned heading. The equipment I was in that night did not have an HSI. Having this situation occur is reason enough for this to never happen again. The reality that this could happen to anybody, regardless of how long you have been flying, made me realize that even though something becomes routine, you still need to challenge anything that does not seem right (making a long turn on course). I have also joined a fitness club to begin a program to help eliminate stress and increase attention and awareness to also insure that this will never happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN ATX BEECH BARON BE58 TOOK OFF IN THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THE RWY AT NIGHT AFTER MAKING AN INTXN TKOF. TWR CTLR ADVISED HIM OF HIS MISTAKE AFTER DEP.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/98 AT APPROX XA15 AT DTW, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY METRO GND TO TAXI RWY 21L AT INTXN S4. REACHING THE INTXN, METRO TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO 'TURN L HDG 120 DEGS, CLRED FOR TKOF.' COMPLETING THE FINAL TKOF CHKLIST ITEMS, I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY ASKING TO VERIFY A L TURNOUT BECAUSE IT WAS THE LONG WAY AROUND. AFTER AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM TWR, I TOOK OFF. ONCE AIRBORNE, TWR NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD DEPARTED RWY 3R. AT THAT MOMENT, I REALIZED THAT I HAD MADE THE WRONG TURN ONTO THE RWY AND DEPARTED THE WRONG WAY. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. UPON LOOKING UP FROM THE CHKLIST, THE LAST THING I SAW WAS THE RED AND WHITE RWY SIGN (RWY 3R/21L). SEEING THE RWY 21L TO THE R OF THE OTHER RWY, I MADE A R TURN ONTO THE RWY INSTEAD OF A L. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A DIVERTED ATTN WHILE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY. I WAS LOOKING DOWN TO FIND THE LNDG LIGHTS TO TURN THEM ON FOR TKOF. COMPLACENCY IN DIFFERENT EQUIP IS ANOTHER. THE EQUIP I TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN FLYING HAD AN HSI WHICH I WOULD SET TO THE RWY I WOULD DEPART, AND SET THE HDG BUG TO THE ASSIGNED HDG. THE EQUIP I WAS IN THAT NIGHT DID NOT HAVE AN HSI. HAVING THIS SIT OCCUR IS REASON ENOUGH FOR THIS TO NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. THE REALITY THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANYBODY, REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN FLYING, MADE ME REALIZE THAT EVEN THOUGH SOMETHING BECOMES ROUTINE, YOU STILL NEED TO CHALLENGE ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT (MAKING A LONG TURN ON COURSE). I HAVE ALSO JOINED A FITNESS CLUB TO BEGIN A PROGRAM TO HELP ELIMINATE STRESS AND INCREASE ATTN AND AWARENESS TO ALSO INSURE THAT THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.