Narrative:

Took off from taxiway D at tpa on dec/fri/99 at PM30 local time, mistaking it for runway 36R which I was cleared to takeoff from and which is adjacent and parallel to it. This was my first flight following the repair of my plane. I was being especially careful (I thought) to make sure each system was functioning correctly, and all switches were in the correct position following the plane being down in a humid environment for over 2 months, as well as checking for both correct completion and function of all system worked on. On completion of all pretkof items, I called the tower, reporting ready for takeoff, and was cleared first to taxi to runway 36R, and before getting very far, I was cleared into position and hold on runway 36R. There was no traffic on approach or on the runway. I proceeded to taxi into position and hold on what I mistook for runway 36R, which was actually taxiway D, which is adjacent to runway 36R, to its west, and taxiway east/ramp on its east, and parallel to both. I did note that the runway looked shorter than I would have expected but wrote it off to not having flown for a long time and presumed I was just misinterping it. Shortly after getting into position, the tower issued a clearance for takeoff. The airspeed was at 80 KTS when I realized the end of the pavement was coming up much sooner than I had expected. But the distance remaining would not be sufficient to abort the takeoff and stop on the pavement. I rotated at 90 KTS, and just as I was lifting off, I noted that the runway lights were blue, not white. Another plane on frequency commented on the fact that I had taken off on the other runway 36R, or something to that effect. Contributing factors: 1) pilot not familiar with the airport. 2) pilot focused on plane system readiness and functionality following major repairs to engine and airframe, and extended period of lack of operation. 3) lack of the tower noting that I was lined up on the taxiway following position and hold directions prior to and when initiating takeoff roll. 4) lighting conditions too bright to note blue light in pavement side marker lights and possibly too dim to note unlit color of lenses. 5) lack of any pilot habit to positively identify/verify identify of runway prior to taxiing into position and hold when it has to be the first runway that will be encountered. Failed to adequate familiarize myself with the airport layout, on commercial chart tpa sheet 20-9 prior to initiating taxi. I think the primary cause of this incident was the pilot's failure to always positively identify the correct runway for takeoff or crossing when it seems too simple, combined with an unusual period of not flying, lack of adequate familiarity with the airport, and over concern for the plane's hardware condition and likely performance after major maintenance. Changing pilot habit and action pattern to always positively identify the runway before entry/crossing would eliminate the potential.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TWIN ENG ATP PLT PERFORMS A TXWY TKOF AT TPA, FL.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM TXWY D AT TPA ON DEC/FRI/99 AT PM30 LCL TIME, MISTAKING IT FOR RWY 36R WHICH I WAS CLRED TO TKOF FROM AND WHICH IS ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO IT. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT FOLLOWING THE REPAIR OF MY PLANE. I WAS BEING ESPECIALLY CAREFUL (I THOUGHT) TO MAKE SURE EACH SYS WAS FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY, AND ALL SWITCHES WERE IN THE CORRECT POS FOLLOWING THE PLANE BEING DOWN IN A HUMID ENVIRONMENT FOR OVER 2 MONTHS, AS WELL AS CHKING FOR BOTH CORRECT COMPLETION AND FUNCTION OF ALL SYS WORKED ON. ON COMPLETION OF ALL PRETKOF ITEMS, I CALLED THE TWR, RPTING READY FOR TKOF, AND WAS CLRED FIRST TO TAXI TO RWY 36R, AND BEFORE GETTING VERY FAR, I WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 36R. THERE WAS NO TFC ON APCH OR ON THE RWY. I PROCEEDED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON WHAT I MISTOOK FOR RWY 36R, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY TXWY D, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO RWY 36R, TO ITS W, AND TXWY E/RAMP ON ITS E, AND PARALLEL TO BOTH. I DID NOTE THAT THE RWY LOOKED SHORTER THAN I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED BUT WROTE IT OFF TO NOT HAVING FLOWN FOR A LONG TIME AND PRESUMED I WAS JUST MISINTERPING IT. SHORTLY AFTER GETTING INTO POS, THE TWR ISSUED A CLRNC FOR TKOF. THE AIRSPD WAS AT 80 KTS WHEN I REALIZED THE END OF THE PAVEMENT WAS COMING UP MUCH SOONER THAN I HAD EXPECTED. BUT THE DISTANCE REMAINING WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO ABORT THE TKOF AND STOP ON THE PAVEMENT. I ROTATED AT 90 KTS, AND JUST AS I WAS LIFTING OFF, I NOTED THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE BLUE, NOT WHITE. ANOTHER PLANE ON FREQ COMMENTED ON THE FACT THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE OTHER RWY 36R, OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) PLT NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. 2) PLT FOCUSED ON PLANE SYS READINESS AND FUNCTIONALITY FOLLOWING MAJOR REPAIRS TO ENG AND AIRFRAME, AND EXTENDED PERIOD OF LACK OF OP. 3) LACK OF THE TWR NOTING THAT I WAS LINED UP ON THE TXWY FOLLOWING POS AND HOLD DIRECTIONS PRIOR TO AND WHEN INITIATING TKOF ROLL. 4) LIGHTING CONDITIONS TOO BRIGHT TO NOTE BLUE LIGHT IN PAVEMENT SIDE MARKER LIGHTS AND POSSIBLY TOO DIM TO NOTE UNLIT COLOR OF LENSES. 5) LACK OF ANY PLT HABIT TO POSITIVELY IDENT/VERIFY IDENT OF RWY PRIOR TO TAXIING INTO POS AND HOLD WHEN IT HAS TO BE THE FIRST RWY THAT WILL BE ENCOUNTERED. FAILED TO ADEQUATE FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE ARPT LAYOUT, ON COMMERCIAL CHART TPA SHEET 20-9 PRIOR TO INITIATING TAXI. I THINK THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE PLT'S FAILURE TO ALWAYS POSITIVELY IDENT THE CORRECT RWY FOR TKOF OR XING WHEN IT SEEMS TOO SIMPLE, COMBINED WITH AN UNUSUAL PERIOD OF NOT FLYING, LACK OF ADEQUATE FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT, AND OVER CONCERN FOR THE PLANE'S HARDWARE CONDITION AND LIKELY PERFORMANCE AFTER MAJOR MAINT. CHANGING PLT HABIT AND ACTION PATTERN TO ALWAYS POSITIVELY IDENT THE RWY BEFORE ENTRY/XING WOULD ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL.

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.