Narrative:

Confusion at a multi-runway airport led to taking off on a short runway that we had no performance data for. The takeoff was without incident. Confusion resulted from several factors. Landing the night before, the tower tried to switch us from the right parallel to the left when we were on short final. I refused the switch because I was unfamiliar with the short runway, and could not pull out charts. After a stand up overnight (on duty all night), we departed the next morning in the dark, at an unfamiliar airport, and 4 hours of sleep. The ATIS reported departures on a long, familiar runway. On taxi, another air carrier was assigned a second runway for departure. We were then assigned a third runway, different from the ATIS reported runway and the runway of the previous aircraft. We were assigned the parallel runways from the night before. I taxied to the longer parallel we had landed on, which the first officer and tower confirmed was the wrong parallel. At this point, I taxied to the assigned parallel, which I assumed was the longer one we had landed on the night before. I asked the first officer to check the performance data, and he said takeoff was allowed. After takeoff, I realized we had taken off on the short runway, which we had no data for. The first officer and I had both been confused -- me with the runway, him with the chart. Factors that affected us: fatigue from the stand up overnight. The tower's constant efforts to assign us the shortest runway for takeoff and landing when not listed in the ATIS. Normally, I would have stopped the aircraft during taxi and sorted this out. I believe fatigue led me to not think this through clearly. As PIC, it is my sole responsibility to sort this out before takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 FLC DEPARTS FROM AN UNAUTH RWY AT HOU, TX.

Narrative: CONFUSION AT A MULTI-RWY ARPT LED TO TAKING OFF ON A SHORT RWY THAT WE HAD NO PERFORMANCE DATA FOR. THE TKOF WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONFUSION RESULTED FROM SEVERAL FACTORS. LNDG THE NIGHT BEFORE, THE TWR TRIED TO SWITCH US FROM THE R PARALLEL TO THE L WHEN WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL. I REFUSED THE SWITCH BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SHORT RWY, AND COULD NOT PULL OUT CHARTS. AFTER A STAND UP OVERNIGHT (ON DUTY ALL NIGHT), WE DEPARTED THE NEXT MORNING IN THE DARK, AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, AND 4 HRS OF SLEEP. THE ATIS RPTED DEPS ON A LONG, FAMILIAR RWY. ON TAXI, ANOTHER ACR WAS ASSIGNED A SECOND RWY FOR DEP. WE WERE THEN ASSIGNED A THIRD RWY, DIFFERENT FROM THE ATIS RPTED RWY AND THE RWY OF THE PREVIOUS ACFT. WE WERE ASSIGNED THE PARALLEL RWYS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE. I TAXIED TO THE LONGER PARALLEL WE HAD LANDED ON, WHICH THE FO AND TWR CONFIRMED WAS THE WRONG PARALLEL. AT THIS POINT, I TAXIED TO THE ASSIGNED PARALLEL, WHICH I ASSUMED WAS THE LONGER ONE WE HAD LANDED ON THE NIGHT BEFORE. I ASKED THE FO TO CHK THE PERFORMANCE DATA, AND HE SAID TKOF WAS ALLOWED. AFTER TKOF, I REALIZED WE HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE SHORT RWY, WHICH WE HAD NO DATA FOR. THE FO AND I HAD BOTH BEEN CONFUSED -- ME WITH THE RWY, HIM WITH THE CHART. FACTORS THAT AFFECTED US: FATIGUE FROM THE STAND UP OVERNIGHT. THE TWR'S CONSTANT EFFORTS TO ASSIGN US THE SHORTEST RWY FOR TKOF AND LNDG WHEN NOT LISTED IN THE ATIS. NORMALLY, I WOULD HAVE STOPPED THE ACFT DURING TAXI AND SORTED THIS OUT. I BELIEVE FATIGUE LED ME TO NOT THINK THIS THROUGH CLRLY. AS PIC, IT IS MY SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO SORT THIS OUT BEFORE TKOF.

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.