Narrative:

At the tacoma narrows airport (tiw), I was cleared by ground control to taxi to runway 17 for departure. I taxied along the boundary of the apron (west side) following a yellow line north towards runway 17. As I reached the end of the apron, there was a solid white line painted on the apron 90 degrees to the yellow line. I stopped at the white line, called the tower and stated I was ready for departure to the north. Tower replied, 'cleared for takeoff, l-hand departure approved.' I checked the sky for aircraft and birds, there were none. I closed the throttle, turned the aircraft 90 degrees, saw what I thought was the runway and turned onto it. Tower called 'abort takeoff, you are on a taxiway.' I opened the throttle, and turned the aircraft around. Tower again cleared me for takeoff. I turned off the taxiway, turned left, saw runway 17, entered it and departed. From the apron position you cannot see the taxiway or the runway. I am not familiar with the tiw airport. The taxiway runs parallel to the runway. I did see the taxiway blue lights when I turned the aircraft around, but on takeoff I'm focusing down the runway straight ahead. I did see the double white lines denoting the threshold of runway 17 after I turned off the taxiway. If the solid white line had not been on the apron, I would have taxied around to the threshold of runway 17. But I'm conditioned to stop at white lines, especially controled airports. Why didn't either ground control or the tower question why I stopped short of the threshold to runway 17? Safety was not involved, but the frustration of one pilot was. I do not want to taxi onto an active runway without authority/authorized from the tower. So I will continue to stop at white lines. I know double white lines denote thresholds, but I'm not going to ignore a white, yellow, purple or any other color line drawn 90 degrees to my line of travel. They all mean stop and ask. Better to be safe than sorry.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT SMA PLT NEARLY TAKES OFF ON A TXWY AT TIW, WA, ARPT. THE CTLR STOPS HIM DURING THE LINE-UP.

Narrative: AT THE TACOMA NARROWS ARPT (TIW), I WAS CLRED BY GND CTL TO TAXI TO RWY 17 FOR DEP. I TAXIED ALONG THE BOUNDARY OF THE APRON (W SIDE) FOLLOWING A YELLOW LINE N TOWARDS RWY 17. AS I REACHED THE END OF THE APRON, THERE WAS A SOLID WHITE LINE PAINTED ON THE APRON 90 DEGS TO THE YELLOW LINE. I STOPPED AT THE WHITE LINE, CALLED THE TWR AND STATED I WAS READY FOR DEP TO THE N. TWR REPLIED, 'CLRED FOR TKOF, L-HAND DEP APPROVED.' I CHKED THE SKY FOR ACFT AND BIRDS, THERE WERE NONE. I CLOSED THE THROTTLE, TURNED THE ACFT 90 DEGS, SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY AND TURNED ONTO IT. TWR CALLED 'ABORT TKOF, YOU ARE ON A TXWY.' I OPENED THE THROTTLE, AND TURNED THE ACFT AROUND. TWR AGAIN CLRED ME FOR TKOF. I TURNED OFF THE TXWY, TURNED L, SAW RWY 17, ENTERED IT AND DEPARTED. FROM THE APRON POS YOU CANNOT SEE THE TXWY OR THE RWY. I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TIW ARPT. THE TXWY RUNS PARALLEL TO THE RWY. I DID SEE THE TXWY BLUE LIGHTS WHEN I TURNED THE ACFT AROUND, BUT ON TKOF I'M FOCUSING DOWN THE RWY STRAIGHT AHEAD. I DID SEE THE DOUBLE WHITE LINES DENOTING THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 17 AFTER I TURNED OFF THE TXWY. IF THE SOLID WHITE LINE HAD NOT BEEN ON THE APRON, I WOULD HAVE TAXIED AROUND TO THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 17. BUT I'M CONDITIONED TO STOP AT WHITE LINES, ESPECIALLY CTLED ARPTS. WHY DIDN'T EITHER GND CTL OR THE TWR QUESTION WHY I STOPPED SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD TO RWY 17? SAFETY WAS NOT INVOLVED, BUT THE FRUSTRATION OF ONE PLT WAS. I DO NOT WANT TO TAXI ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT AUTH FROM THE TWR. SO I WILL CONTINUE TO STOP AT WHITE LINES. I KNOW DOUBLE WHITE LINES DENOTE THRESHOLDS, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO IGNORE A WHITE, YELLOW, PURPLE OR ANY OTHER COLOR LINE DRAWN 90 DEGS TO MY LINE OF TRAVEL. THEY ALL MEAN STOP AND ASK. BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.

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.