Narrative:

Taxied out for departure on taxiway B for departure on runway 16L. Runway 16L is approximately 11900 ft long. While we were just to the end of the runway, controller gave the clearance 'cleared for takeoff aircraft on a 9 mi final no delay.' while it was very dark and the last turn-up to a full length departure was taxiway a, we turned up to the runway 1000 ft from the end on taxiway east. Once we realized we were not at the end of the runway, we quickly looked up the performance from the east intersection and found we did have the performance for takeoff but did not use the full length as was expected by the tower. We advised tower and the tower controller said ok cleared for takeoff still. I feel that there is inadequate lighting of the txwys and runways on that portion of the field and the controller should not issue a no delay takeoff unless the aircraft taxiing is at the end of the runway. Due to the immediacy of the situation made a false turn-up onto the runway and a portion of the occurrence could have been fatigue that late at night and unfamiliarity with the runway. I also feel that better CRM skills could have been used by both my first officer and myself and a taxiway chart monitoring should have been done every taxiway while taxiing. No conflict occurred. We had the performance data for 10900 ft and the performance data for runway 16R which is ever shorter than the distance of taxiway east to end of runway 16L. The only error was that we departed on taxiway east and not the full length as expected by ATC. However, we did notify tower once the error was noticed and asked and was cleared for a taxiway east departure for runway 16L. No conflict occurred and no safety was compromised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW CLRED FOR A NO DELAY TKOF AT SEA, TOOK THE RWY PRIOR TO THE END, AS TWR HAD EXPECTED.

Narrative: TAXIED OUT FOR DEP ON TXWY B FOR DEP ON RWY 16L. RWY 16L IS APPROX 11900 FT LONG. WHILE WE WERE JUST TO THE END OF THE RWY, CTLR GAVE THE CLRNC 'CLRED FOR TKOF ACFT ON A 9 MI FINAL NO DELAY.' WHILE IT WAS VERY DARK AND THE LAST TURN-UP TO A FULL LENGTH DEP WAS TXWY A, WE TURNED UP TO THE RWY 1000 FT FROM THE END ON TXWY E. ONCE WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT AT THE END OF THE RWY, WE QUICKLY LOOKED UP THE PERFORMANCE FROM THE E INTXN AND FOUND WE DID HAVE THE PERFORMANCE FOR TKOF BUT DID NOT USE THE FULL LENGTH AS WAS EXPECTED BY THE TWR. WE ADVISED TWR AND THE TWR CTLR SAID OK CLRED FOR TKOF STILL. I FEEL THAT THERE IS INADEQUATE LIGHTING OF THE TXWYS AND RWYS ON THAT PORTION OF THE FIELD AND THE CTLR SHOULD NOT ISSUE A NO DELAY TKOF UNLESS THE ACFT TAXIING IS AT THE END OF THE RWY. DUE TO THE IMMEDIACY OF THE SIT MADE A FALSE TURN-UP ONTO THE RWY AND A PORTION OF THE OCCURRENCE COULD HAVE BEEN FATIGUE THAT LATE AT NIGHT AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE RWY. I ALSO FEEL THAT BETTER CRM SKILLS COULD HAVE BEEN USED BY BOTH MY FO AND MYSELF AND A TXWY CHART MONITORING SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE EVERY TXWY WHILE TAXIING. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. WE HAD THE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR 10900 FT AND THE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR RWY 16R WHICH IS EVER SHORTER THAN THE DISTANCE OF TXWY E TO END OF RWY 16L. THE ONLY ERROR WAS THAT WE DEPARTED ON TXWY E AND NOT THE FULL LENGTH AS EXPECTED BY ATC. HOWEVER, WE DID NOTIFY TWR ONCE THE ERROR WAS NOTICED AND ASKED AND WAS CLRED FOR A TXWY E DEP FOR RWY 16L. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED AND NO SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED.

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.