Narrative:

The main runway is over 11000 ft long with a parallel runway that is over 6000 ft long. It is the parallel runway, runway 22R, where I made the error. The chain of events leading up to this was really more a calamity of omissions on my part than anything else. First, I want to say that I'm not even sure that I committed a violation. The reason is that, after the fact, I researched the NOTAM database and was unable to determine if the runway, which is now open, was actually closed when I took off on it. Neither I nor my first officer saw an 'X' on the runway or any other visual cue that it may have been closed. Runway 22L (the long runway) is now closed and is NOTAM'ed as such. The way it happened was simple. We taxied to runway 22L for takeoff. As we taxied out, we encountered a number of barricades that had been set up to prevent the use of some of the txwys leading out to the runway. This was done because there were men and equipment working on runway 22L. There was a NOTAM that indicated that there was construction being done on runway 22L, but nothing indicating which txwys were usable. As we approached the end of the runway barricades spanned the taxiway leading to what appeared to be the approach end of runway 22L, leaving only 1 taxiway open to the runway. I utilized the open taxiway and entered the runway, where we held momentarily while we completed the checklist. After the checklist was done and we had announced our intentions for takeoff, I initiated the takeoff roll. As we passed over the runway identify, runway 22R, I realized that we weren't on the runway that I had intended to use. I could see clearly down the length of the runway that there were no obstructions and the surface of the runway was not damaged or in any way unusable, so to avoid the obvious dangers that go with aborting a takeoff at this stage, I continued. I am not even sure that I considered aborting the takeoff because I knew that the runway was more than adequate for our aircraft and there were no markings indicating that it was closed. The takeoff was completed without any difficulties and we continued with our flight as planned. After takeoff, I began thinking about the runway. I looked at the airport diagram and it indicated that runway 22R was closed indefinitely. However, I want to reiterate that review of the NOTAMS for the airport are not clear as to whether or not the runway was open on the day that I departed from it. Again, it was open as of aug/xa/99. In keeping with the philosophy of the ASRS, my comments are these. First, the NOTAM system as it is right now, in my opinion, needs help. So many NOTAMS are generated that there is no possible way that one could keep track of all of them. Pages and pages are produced for one airport and so many of them are not of any real value to an IFR pilot. In speaking with other pilots, I have come to realize that it is not just me who doesn't routinely check the NOTAMS for each airport of intended use or that can't remember everything on the list when it is read by the briefer. I feel that there should be a more defined categorization of the NOTAMS than what there is right now, with an emphasis on navigation facilities, and runway information. Include only information that is going to immediately effect the normal operation of the aircraft. The other thing is this. The barricading of txwys with no apparent way out and without providing some kind of a supplemental chart for ground navigation is not only confusing, but at night, can be hazardous. The personnel that are doing the construction probably are not aviators and, therefore, are most likely unaware of the hazards they produce by placing barricades and other obstacles in the wrong place. I think that there should be some qualified individuals on hand that can direct these operations in a safe and uncompromising way. Finally, I realize that better preflight planning may have prevented this from happening.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT SIGNAGE AND INFO AVAILABLE DURING CONSTRUCTION AT UNCTLED ARPT AFTER HE REALIZES THAT HE HAS TAKEN OFF FROM A RWY HE DID NOT PLAN TO.

Narrative: THE MAIN RWY IS OVER 11000 FT LONG WITH A PARALLEL RWY THAT IS OVER 6000 FT LONG. IT IS THE PARALLEL RWY, RWY 22R, WHERE I MADE THE ERROR. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS WAS REALLY MORE A CALAMITY OF OMISSIONS ON MY PART THAN ANYTHING ELSE. FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT I COMMITTED A VIOLATION. THE REASON IS THAT, AFTER THE FACT, I RESEARCHED THE NOTAM DATABASE AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE RWY, WHICH IS NOW OPEN, WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED WHEN I TOOK OFF ON IT. NEITHER I NOR MY FO SAW AN 'X' ON THE RWY OR ANY OTHER VISUAL CUE THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSED. RWY 22L (THE LONG RWY) IS NOW CLOSED AND IS NOTAM'ED AS SUCH. THE WAY IT HAPPENED WAS SIMPLE. WE TAXIED TO RWY 22L FOR TKOF. AS WE TAXIED OUT, WE ENCOUNTERED A NUMBER OF BARRICADES THAT HAD BEEN SET UP TO PREVENT THE USE OF SOME OF THE TXWYS LEADING OUT TO THE RWY. THIS WAS DONE BECAUSE THERE WERE MEN AND EQUIP WORKING ON RWY 22L. THERE WAS A NOTAM THAT INDICATED THAT THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION BEING DONE ON RWY 22L, BUT NOTHING INDICATING WHICH TXWYS WERE USABLE. AS WE APCHED THE END OF THE RWY BARRICADES SPANNED THE TXWY LEADING TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE APCH END OF RWY 22L, LEAVING ONLY 1 TXWY OPEN TO THE RWY. I UTILIZED THE OPEN TXWY AND ENTERED THE RWY, WHERE WE HELD MOMENTARILY WHILE WE COMPLETED THE CHKLIST. AFTER THE CHKLIST WAS DONE AND WE HAD ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTIONS FOR TKOF, I INITIATED THE TKOF ROLL. AS WE PASSED OVER THE RWY IDENT, RWY 22R, I REALIZED THAT WE WEREN'T ON THE RWY THAT I HAD INTENDED TO USE. I COULD SEE CLRLY DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE RWY THAT THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS AND THE SURFACE OF THE RWY WAS NOT DAMAGED OR IN ANY WAY UNUSABLE, SO TO AVOID THE OBVIOUS DANGERS THAT GO WITH ABORTING A TKOF AT THIS STAGE, I CONTINUED. I AM NOT EVEN SURE THAT I CONSIDERED ABORTING THE TKOF BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THE RWY WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR OUR ACFT AND THERE WERE NO MARKINGS INDICATING THAT IT WAS CLOSED. THE TKOF WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTIES AND WE CONTINUED WITH OUR FLT AS PLANNED. AFTER TKOF, I BEGAN THINKING ABOUT THE RWY. I LOOKED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND IT INDICATED THAT RWY 22R WAS CLOSED INDEFINITELY. HOWEVER, I WANT TO REITERATE THAT REVIEW OF THE NOTAMS FOR THE ARPT ARE NOT CLR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE RWY WAS OPEN ON THE DAY THAT I DEPARTED FROM IT. AGAIN, IT WAS OPEN AS OF AUG/XA/99. IN KEEPING WITH THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ASRS, MY COMMENTS ARE THESE. FIRST, THE NOTAM SYS AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, IN MY OPINION, NEEDS HELP. SO MANY NOTAMS ARE GENERATED THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT ONE COULD KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THEM. PAGES AND PAGES ARE PRODUCED FOR ONE ARPT AND SO MANY OF THEM ARE NOT OF ANY REAL VALUE TO AN IFR PLT. IN SPEAKING WITH OTHER PLTS, I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT JUST ME WHO DOESN'T ROUTINELY CHK THE NOTAMS FOR EACH ARPT OF INTENDED USE OR THAT CAN'T REMEMBER EVERYTHING ON THE LIST WHEN IT IS READ BY THE BRIEFER. I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A MORE DEFINED CATEGORIZATION OF THE NOTAMS THAN WHAT THERE IS RIGHT NOW, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON NAV FACILITIES, AND RWY INFO. INCLUDE ONLY INFO THAT IS GOING TO IMMEDIATELY EFFECT THE NORMAL OP OF THE ACFT. THE OTHER THING IS THIS. THE BARRICADING OF TXWYS WITH NO APPARENT WAY OUT AND WITHOUT PROVIDING SOME KIND OF A SUPPLEMENTAL CHART FOR GND NAV IS NOT ONLY CONFUSING, BUT AT NIGHT, CAN BE HAZARDOUS. THE PERSONNEL THAT ARE DOING THE CONSTRUCTION PROBABLY ARE NOT AVIATORS AND, THEREFORE, ARE MOST LIKELY UNAWARE OF THE HAZARDS THEY PRODUCE BY PLACING BARRICADES AND OTHER OBSTACLES IN THE WRONG PLACE. I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS ON HAND THAT CAN DIRECT THESE OPS IN A SAFE AND UNCOMPROMISING WAY. FINALLY, I REALIZE THAT BETTER PREFLT PLANNING MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING.

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.