Narrative:

At XA30 oct/xa/00, my crew took off from tpe to anc. I hadn't operated in tpe for about 2 1/2 yrs and I noticed there have been changes to the field. Specifically, whereas I had always known that normal operations would have us taxi via runway 5R for takeoff on runway 5L, now we were taxiing via runway 5R, then turning off of runway 5R (N6) to continue taxi via the parallel (np) to the end of the runways. From there, we were then to taxi across runway 5R in order to take off on runway 5L. Note that on the current airfield diagram page (dated oct/xa/00), runway 5R was redesignated nc. Observations: while on the parallel taxiway abeam runway 5R on oct/xa/00, we noticed the construction on a portion of runway 5R. It was a very large hole cut into the concrete that very well could have been cut to the dirt, depth-wise. The hole seemed large enough to park a large plane in. When cleared to taxi across runway 5R for takeoff on runway 5L, my taxiing first officer and I both voiced our natural tendency to mistakenly turn right again and to take off on runway 5R instead. This because of 2 things: 1) in the scores of times that I have operated from tpe, two quick right turns were always done when we had taxied all of the way down runway 5R. 2) on oct/xa/00, the runway was lit up like an operating runway and there were no obvious markings (like an 'X') that would indicate a closed runway. (Being based in lax, I remember the work that has been done there this summer on runway 25L. It was quite impossible to mistake that it was closed because of the extremely brightly lit 'X' at the approach end of that runway.) update: I wrote the above while commercializing on a red-eye from anc to lax. Upon arrival at the hotel, I see that the news is reporting that the aircraft did take off on the wrong runway (now taxiway nc). As a follow up concern, I can only wonder how taxiway nc (formerly runway 5R) appeared to the crew at takeoff. Were the taxiway nc lights on even though it is closed? What color are those lights? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain was allowing the first officer to taxi the aircraft from the right seat, which was within the airline management policies. The first officer had started a turn onto runway 5R, changing the aircraft's heading by about 15 degrees when the captain, who had previously had his head in the cockpit 'flipping switches,' said, 'this isn't right.' the relief pilot also had noted the mistake and chimed in. Had the WX been a factor the mistake might have gone unnoticed as the high intensity runway lights were on. He later sent an email to a union pilot who, it was discovered, previously had experienced the same anomaly as the reporter had that evening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 CARGO CAPT'S RPT ON RWY CONDITIONS AND TAXI RTES EXITING AT TAIPEI ARPT THAT MIGHT INDUCE A WRONG RWY ENTRY AND TKOF, RCTP, FO.

Narrative: AT XA30 OCT/XA/00, MY CREW TOOK OFF FROM TPE TO ANC. I HADN'T OPERATED IN TPE FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 YRS AND I NOTICED THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO THE FIELD. SPECIFICALLY, WHEREAS I HAD ALWAYS KNOWN THAT NORMAL OPS WOULD HAVE US TAXI VIA RWY 5R FOR TKOF ON RWY 5L, NOW WE WERE TAXIING VIA RWY 5R, THEN TURNING OFF OF RWY 5R (N6) TO CONTINUE TAXI VIA THE PARALLEL (NP) TO THE END OF THE RWYS. FROM THERE, WE WERE THEN TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 5R IN ORDER TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 5L. NOTE THAT ON THE CURRENT AIRFIELD DIAGRAM PAGE (DATED OCT/XA/00), RWY 5R WAS REDESIGNATED NC. OBSERVATIONS: WHILE ON THE PARALLEL TXWY ABEAM RWY 5R ON OCT/XA/00, WE NOTICED THE CONSTRUCTION ON A PORTION OF RWY 5R. IT WAS A VERY LARGE HOLE CUT INTO THE CONCRETE THAT VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN CUT TO THE DIRT, DEPTH-WISE. THE HOLE SEEMED LARGE ENOUGH TO PARK A LARGE PLANE IN. WHEN CLRED TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 5R FOR TKOF ON RWY 5L, MY TAXIING FO AND I BOTH VOICED OUR NATURAL TENDENCY TO MISTAKENLY TURN R AGAIN AND TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 5R INSTEAD. THIS BECAUSE OF 2 THINGS: 1) IN THE SCORES OF TIMES THAT I HAVE OPERATED FROM TPE, TWO QUICK R TURNS WERE ALWAYS DONE WHEN WE HAD TAXIED ALL OF THE WAY DOWN RWY 5R. 2) ON OCT/XA/00, THE RWY WAS LIT UP LIKE AN OPERATING RWY AND THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS MARKINGS (LIKE AN 'X') THAT WOULD INDICATE A CLOSED RWY. (BEING BASED IN LAX, I REMEMBER THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE THERE THIS SUMMER ON RWY 25L. IT WAS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE TO MISTAKE THAT IT WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY BRIGHTLY LIT 'X' AT THE APCH END OF THAT RWY.) UPDATE: I WROTE THE ABOVE WHILE COMMERCIALIZING ON A RED-EYE FROM ANC TO LAX. UPON ARR AT THE HOTEL, I SEE THAT THE NEWS IS RPTING THAT THE ACFT DID TAKE OFF ON THE WRONG RWY (NOW TXWY NC). AS A FOLLOW UP CONCERN, I CAN ONLY WONDER HOW TXWY NC (FORMERLY RWY 5R) APPEARED TO THE CREW AT TKOF. WERE THE TXWY NC LIGHTS ON EVEN THOUGH IT IS CLOSED? WHAT COLOR ARE THOSE LIGHTS? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT WAS ALLOWING THE FO TO TAXI THE ACFT FROM THE R SEAT, WHICH WAS WITHIN THE AIRLINE MGMNT POLICIES. THE FO HAD STARTED A TURN ONTO RWY 5R, CHANGING THE ACFT'S HEADING BY ABOUT 15 DEGS WHEN THE CAPT, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD HIS HEAD IN THE COCKPIT 'FLIPPING SWITCHES,' SAID, 'THIS ISN'T RIGHT.' THE RELIEF PLT ALSO HAD NOTED THE MISTAKE AND CHIMED IN. HAD THE WX BEEN A FACTOR THE MISTAKE MIGHT HAVE GONE UNNOTICED AS THE HIGH INTENSITY RWY LIGHTS WERE ON. HE LATER SENT AN EMAIL TO A UNION PLT WHO, IT WAS DISCOVERED, PREVIOUSLY HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME ANOMALY AS THE RPTR HAD THAT EVENING.

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.