Narrative:

The departure ATIS was calling for departures on runway 8L. I was cleared to taxi and hold short of runway 8L at intersection D for intersection departure behind company learjet traffic. Tower cleared me for takeoff and I proceeded to turn onto the runway and started takeoff roll. At approximately 500 ft AGL, tower informed me I had departed runway 26R and to turn right to 360 degrees then on course. No traffic conflicts occurred and there was no shortage of runway as taxiway D is at the mid point of a 10000 ft runway. From the beginning of the taxi for takeoff, I was rushing for departure and preoccupied with my departure preparations. I was late and the WX was moderately low -- all factors that increased my anxiety and haste to depart. I am very familiar with the airport and I believe this allowed complacency to set in. The departure from midfield made it difficult for the ATC controller to anticipate my mistake. A good lesson. Complacency is the main problem here. Even doing the same thing every night (same run, same airports, etc) does not allow a pilot to become too comfortable, or complacent. I will now be very suspicious of complacency. Allowing oneself to be rushed increases chances for mistakes to happen and go unnoticed. Slow down, think! Be suspicious and think through intersection departures. Check heading indicator on line-up to verify departure runway. Slow down to allow controller to stay in the loop and help to avoid mistakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58 PLT DEPARTS WRONG RWY AT ATL.

Narrative: THE DEP ATIS WAS CALLING FOR DEPS ON RWY 8L. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8L AT INTXN D FOR INTXN DEP BEHIND COMPANY LEARJET TFC. TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF AND I PROCEEDED TO TURN ONTO THE RWY AND STARTED TKOF ROLL. AT APPROX 500 FT AGL, TWR INFORMED ME I HAD DEPARTED RWY 26R AND TO TURN R TO 360 DEGS THEN ON COURSE. NO TFC CONFLICTS OCCURRED AND THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF RWY AS TXWY D IS AT THE MID POINT OF A 10000 FT RWY. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TAXI FOR TKOF, I WAS RUSHING FOR DEP AND PREOCCUPIED WITH MY DEP PREPARATIONS. I WAS LATE AND THE WX WAS MODERATELY LOW -- ALL FACTORS THAT INCREASED MY ANXIETY AND HASTE TO DEPART. I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND I BELIEVE THIS ALLOWED COMPLACENCY TO SET IN. THE DEP FROM MIDFIELD MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE ATC CTLR TO ANTICIPATE MY MISTAKE. A GOOD LESSON. COMPLACENCY IS THE MAIN PROB HERE. EVEN DOING THE SAME THING EVERY NIGHT (SAME RUN, SAME ARPTS, ETC) DOES NOT ALLOW A PLT TO BECOME TOO COMFORTABLE, OR COMPLACENT. I WILL NOW BE VERY SUSPICIOUS OF COMPLACENCY. ALLOWING ONESELF TO BE RUSHED INCREASES CHANCES FOR MISTAKES TO HAPPEN AND GO UNNOTICED. SLOW DOWN, THINK! BE SUSPICIOUS AND THINK THROUGH INTXN DEPS. CHK HDG INDICATOR ON LINE-UP TO VERIFY DEP RWY. SLOW DOWN TO ALLOW CTLR TO STAY IN THE LOOP AND HELP TO AVOID MISTAKES.

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.