Narrative:

Lga tower was reporting an intermittent tailwind for runway 13 prior to our departure. The aircraft ahead of us (MD80) was on the runway in position. Told the tower that winds exceeded their limits, that they would not be able to use that runway. He stated that his limits were 5 KTS. He then cleared the runway. We taxied into position. We made the final takeoff calculations from the reported winds. Found the calculations to be within limits for our aircraft (less than 10 KTS, within limits for our weight after adjusting weight penalty). I assumed the aircraft ahead of us had denied the takeoff due to weight considerations since the 10 KT limit was not exceeded. Therefore, we departed runway 13. On apr/mon/01 I received a call at home from my captain telling me we had taken off illegally from lga. He referenced lga page which states the 5 KT tailwind limitation for all aircraft off of runway 13. I then referenced page and found the note. I remember looking at the page, noticed the bold print of B727 and DC10 noise abatement procedure above the tailwind limit. My mistake was not reading all the notes thoroughly. I thought any notes after the bold print only applied to the B727/DC10, therefore, missing the tailwind limitation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F100 FLT CREW PERFORMS AN UNAUTH TKOF WITH A TAILWIND OF OVER 5 KTS ON RWY 13 AT LGA, NY.

Narrative: LGA TWR WAS RPTING AN INTERMITTENT TAILWIND FOR RWY 13 PRIOR TO OUR DEP. THE ACFT AHEAD OF US (MD80) WAS ON THE RWY IN POS. TOLD THE TWR THAT WINDS EXCEEDED THEIR LIMITS, THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE THAT RWY. HE STATED THAT HIS LIMITS WERE 5 KTS. HE THEN CLRED THE RWY. WE TAXIED INTO POS. WE MADE THE FINAL TKOF CALCULATIONS FROM THE RPTED WINDS. FOUND THE CALCULATIONS TO BE WITHIN LIMITS FOR OUR ACFT (LESS THAN 10 KTS, WITHIN LIMITS FOR OUR WT AFTER ADJUSTING WT PENALTY). I ASSUMED THE ACFT AHEAD OF US HAD DENIED THE TKOF DUE TO WT CONSIDERATIONS SINCE THE 10 KT LIMIT WAS NOT EXCEEDED. THEREFORE, WE DEPARTED RWY 13. ON APR/MON/01 I RECEIVED A CALL AT HOME FROM MY CAPT TELLING ME WE HAD TAKEN OFF ILLEGALLY FROM LGA. HE REFED LGA PAGE WHICH STATES THE 5 KT TAILWIND LIMITATION FOR ALL ACFT OFF OF RWY 13. I THEN REFED PAGE AND FOUND THE NOTE. I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE PAGE, NOTICED THE BOLD PRINT OF B727 AND DC10 NOISE ABATEMENT PROC ABOVE THE TAILWIND LIMIT. MY MISTAKE WAS NOT READING ALL THE NOTES THOROUGHLY. I THOUGHT ANY NOTES AFTER THE BOLD PRINT ONLY APPLIED TO THE B727/DC10, THEREFORE, MISSING THE TAILWIND LIMITATION.

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.