Narrative:

Currently out-of-annual (18 months) aircraft, grumman AA1-B had undergone a pre-ferry check and signoff by repair station. I called departure control to request a close pattern test flight. Pilot was instructed to contact ground for a clearance. I restated request, and purpose of flight, noting that he was out-of-town, and unfamiliar with field, and that the aircraft was being operated under a ferry permit. I requested progressive directions to the active runway. I was directed to runway 16R at taxiway D via txwys f-b. I positioned aircraft at intersection of txwys B/D/K, and turned aircraft 90 degrees to runway for runup (uncontrolled field habit, so I can see traffic from both directions). After performing a runup and pre-takeoff check, I informed the tower that I was ready. I was instructed to make a no-delay takeoff on runway 16R. As I turned back to what I perceived the taxiway to be, I lost my positional awareness and commenced a takeoff on taxiway D, parallel to runway 12. Tower did not inform me of my error until I was approximately 75 ft in the air, and committed to a takeoff. At that time the controller began yelling for me to make an 'immediate' right turn. Had I complied, I would have passed in front of the tower at a level somewhat lower than the cabin attendant. Additionally, a very tall crane was located past the tower, adjacent to runway 12/30. I continued climbing parallel to runway 12/30 until I passed the crane, and had gained sufficient altitude to feel somewhat safe over the populated industrial area. The controller repeated his instructions in a very stressed and strident (and loud) voice, which only exacerbated my anxiety. After establishing myself on the instructed heading, I was directed to a downwind parallel to runway 12/30 for landing on runway 16R. I acknowledged visual contact with runway 12, and seeing how short it was, was extending my downwind to establish a reasonable GS, in light of the test purpose of the flight. As I passed the threshold of runway 12, the controller began loudly instructing me to make an immediate base turn. During the (necessarily) steep turn, I lost my situational awareness and aligned on runway 12. The controller informed me again, in a highly charged emotional voice, that I was lined up on the wrong runway, at which time I broke off, executed a short downwind, base pattern and landed uneventfully on runway 16R. As instructed, I contacted ATC on the telephone, and provided pilot information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT RATED PLT FLYING AN AA1 FROM LGB ON A MAINT TEST FLT IS CLRED FOR TKOF ON A RWY THEN TAKES A TXWY FOR TKOF AND ON LNDG LANDS ON THE WRONG RWY FROM THAT CLRED BY ATC.

Narrative: CURRENTLY OUT-OF-ANNUAL (18 MONTHS) ACFT, GRUMMAN AA1-B HAD UNDERGONE A PRE-FERRY CHK AND SIGNOFF BY REPAIR STATION. I CALLED DEP CTL TO REQUEST A CLOSE PATTERN TEST FLT. PLT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND FOR A CLRNC. I RESTATED REQUEST, AND PURPOSE OF FLT, NOTING THAT HE WAS OUT-OF-TOWN, AND UNFAMILIAR WITH FIELD, AND THAT THE ACFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER A FERRY PERMIT. I REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE DIRECTIONS TO THE ACTIVE RWY. I WAS DIRECTED TO RWY 16R AT TXWY D VIA TXWYS F-B. I POSITIONED ACFT AT INTXN OF TXWYS B/D/K, AND TURNED ACFT 90 DEGS TO RWY FOR RUNUP (UNCTLED FIELD HABIT, SO I CAN SEE TFC FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS). AFTER PERFORMING A RUNUP AND PRE-TKOF CHK, I INFORMED THE TWR THAT I WAS READY. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A NO-DELAY TKOF ON RWY 16R. AS I TURNED BACK TO WHAT I PERCEIVED THE TXWY TO BE, I LOST MY POSITIONAL AWARENESS AND COMMENCED A TKOF ON TXWY D, PARALLEL TO RWY 12. TWR DID NOT INFORM ME OF MY ERROR UNTIL I WAS APPROX 75 FT IN THE AIR, AND COMMITTED TO A TKOF. AT THAT TIME THE CTLR BEGAN YELLING FOR ME TO MAKE AN 'IMMEDIATE' R TURN. HAD I COMPLIED, I WOULD HAVE PASSED IN FRONT OF THE TWR AT A LEVEL SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN THE CAB. ADDITIONALLY, A VERY TALL CRANE WAS LOCATED PAST THE TWR, ADJACENT TO RWY 12/30. I CONTINUED CLBING PARALLEL TO RWY 12/30 UNTIL I PASSED THE CRANE, AND HAD GAINED SUFFICIENT ALT TO FEEL SOMEWHAT SAFE OVER THE POPULATED INDUSTRIAL AREA. THE CTLR REPEATED HIS INSTRUCTIONS IN A VERY STRESSED AND STRIDENT (AND LOUD) VOICE, WHICH ONLY EXACERBATED MY ANXIETY. AFTER ESTABLISHING MYSELF ON THE INSTRUCTED HDG, I WAS DIRECTED TO A DOWNWIND PARALLEL TO RWY 12/30 FOR LNDG ON RWY 16R. I ACKNOWLEDGED VISUAL CONTACT WITH RWY 12, AND SEEING HOW SHORT IT WAS, WAS EXTENDING MY DOWNWIND TO ESTABLISH A REASONABLE GS, IN LIGHT OF THE TEST PURPOSE OF THE FLT. AS I PASSED THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 12, THE CTLR BEGAN LOUDLY INSTRUCTING ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE BASE TURN. DURING THE (NECESSARILY) STEEP TURN, I LOST MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND ALIGNED ON RWY 12. THE CTLR INFORMED ME AGAIN, IN A HIGHLY CHARGED EMOTIONAL VOICE, THAT I WAS LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY, AT WHICH TIME I BROKE OFF, EXECUTED A SHORT DOWNWIND, BASE PATTERN AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 16R. AS INSTRUCTED, I CONTACTED ATC ON THE TELEPHONE, AND PROVIDED PLT INFO.

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.