A C182 pilot takes off on runway 34 when he had been cleared for takeoff on runway 16 at eug, or.

Attributes
ACN	430004
Time
Date	199903
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : eug.airport
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : eug.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : taxi ground : takeoff roll
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : eug.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : straight in
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	430004
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : separated traffic controller : issued alert flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departing for a routine, day VFR trip to return to pdx after a business meeting in eugene, cleared for takeoff on runway 16 with a northbound departure. Took off on runway 34 by accident with a northbound departure. I didn't catch the error until tower started moving traffic out of my way. I do this trip on a weekly basis. I am very familiar with the rtes, airports and controllers. 90% of the time, I get a runway 34 departure with a straight out, often with a tailwind takeoff. This was an 'easy' VFR flight, and my mind fell into a habit pattern that I didn't catch. I heard 'northbound departure approved' and automatically did what I usually do without thinking. My head was on what I was going to do in portland, not what I was doing then. Unfortunately, the controller was distraction by other things and didn't catch my mistake until after I was airborne. The controller remained professional throughout the incident, and reported 1 airplane on final approach that I didn't see. I maneuvered out of the traffic pattern and out of class D airspace and continued the otherwise uneventful flight to pdx. This was a breakdown in cockpit discipline. I was flying by 'autoplt' -- my mind was elsewhere. I didn't so my normal takeoff checklist, which includes verifying heading with clearance. I wasn't really paying attention to the clearance, despite an (automatic) readback that was correct. The familiarity of the flight and the lack of challenging WX conditions lulled me to the point where I was not a safe pilot. Fortunately, enough other people were looking out for me that no one got hurt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT TAKES OFF ON RWY 34 WHEN HE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 16 AT EUG, OR.

Narrative: DEPARTING FOR A ROUTINE, DAY VFR TRIP TO RETURN TO PDX AFTER A BUSINESS MEETING IN EUGENE, CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 16 WITH A NBOUND DEP. TOOK OFF ON RWY 34 BY ACCIDENT WITH A NBOUND DEP. I DIDN'T CATCH THE ERROR UNTIL TWR STARTED MOVING TFC OUT OF MY WAY. I DO THIS TRIP ON A WKLY BASIS. I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RTES, ARPTS AND CTLRS. 90% OF THE TIME, I GET A RWY 34 DEP WITH A STRAIGHT OUT, OFTEN WITH A TAILWIND TKOF. THIS WAS AN 'EASY' VFR FLT, AND MY MIND FELL INTO A HABIT PATTERN THAT I DIDN'T CATCH. I HEARD 'NBOUND DEP APPROVED' AND AUTOMATICALLY DID WHAT I USUALLY DO WITHOUT THINKING. MY HEAD WAS ON WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO IN PORTLAND, NOT WHAT I WAS DOING THEN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CTLR WAS DISTR BY OTHER THINGS AND DIDN'T CATCH MY MISTAKE UNTIL AFTER I WAS AIRBORNE. THE CTLR REMAINED PROFESSIONAL THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT, AND RPTED 1 AIRPLANE ON FINAL APCH THAT I DIDN'T SEE. I MANEUVERED OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN AND OUT OF CLASS D AIRSPACE AND CONTINUED THE OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL FLT TO PDX. THIS WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COCKPIT DISCIPLINE. I WAS FLYING BY 'AUTOPLT' -- MY MIND WAS ELSEWHERE. I DIDN'T SO MY NORMAL TKOF CHKLIST, WHICH INCLUDES VERIFYING HDG WITH CLRNC. I WASN'T REALLY PAYING ATTN TO THE CLRNC, DESPITE AN (AUTOMATIC) READBACK THAT WAS CORRECT. THE FAMILIARITY OF THE FLT AND THE LACK OF CHALLENGING WX CONDITIONS LULLED ME TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS NOT A SAFE PLT. FORTUNATELY, ENOUGH OTHER PEOPLE WERE LOOKING OUT FOR ME THAT NO ONE GOT HURT.

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.