Narrative:

On fri at approximately XA00 I requested taxi clearance from hou ground. I was advised to expect at least a 30 min delay for congestion and WX. I shut down the engines and had the line department attach a gpu to cool the aircraft for my passenger. I used the aircraft's portable radio to monitor ground control. After only a few mins I was called and asked how long until ready to taxi. I advised ground we could be ready within two (2) mins. I restarted the engines, completed my checklists and called ground control and advised them I was ready to taxi again. They asked if I could accept an intersection departure on runway 12R. I declined and requested full length as it was hot and the aircraft was close to mgw. Ground instructed me to hold short. Ground then called and asked if I could accept runway 12R at delta. I accepted and was instructed to taxi to runway 12R at delta. I completed my taxi and before takeoff checks and was ready for departure at the end. While approaching runway 12R at delta I was cleared for immediate takeoff with no delays as there was an aircraft on final. I was still taxiing when I received this clearance and continued onto the runway in a hurry. However, I did not make a hard enough turn to the left and instead took off from runway 17. Runways 12R and 17 intersect at the approach end of each and share the same pavement area. In my hurry to depart I did not realize I was on the wrong runway and departed. When given my clearance to departure on 12R at delta I was instructed to turn to a heading of 150 degrees after departure. I immediately set the heading in my HSI as a reminder and began the takeoff roll. I think as a result and due to the hurried nature of the takeoff I did not realize my error in the runway selection. Tower acknowledged my mistake and instructed me to turn left to 150 degrees instead and asked me to call departure. They were very understanding and wished me a nice weekend. I discovered my error during the takeoff roll and in the interest of safety continued and immediately contacted tower. They were understanding. I believe several factors affected the error on my part. The delay we were told to expect and then the rushed start and taxi, followed by several exchanges concerning my ability to accept a shorter takeoff length (which I declined) and then the instruction to depart immediately. I was constantly changing what I had briefed myself and did not realize the close proximity of the two runways in my hurried takeoff. After reaching cruise altitude I again reviewed the chart and saw how close the runways were and how easy it would be to depart on the wrong one. I have once again learned the importance of verifying the aircraft's heading on the takeoff runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE90 ATX PLT PERFORMS A TKOF ON THE WRONG RWY AT HOU, TX.

Narrative: ON FRI AT APPROXIMATELY XA00 I REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC FROM HOU GND. I WAS ADVISED TO EXPECT AT LEAST A 30 MIN DELAY FOR CONGESTION AND WX. I SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND HAD THE LINE DEPT ATTACH A GPU TO COOL THE ACFT FOR MY PAX. I USED THE ACFT'S PORTABLE RADIO TO MONITOR GND CTL. AFTER ONLY A FEW MINS I WAS CALLED AND ASKED HOW LONG UNTIL READY TO TAXI. I ADVISED GND WE COULD BE READY WITHIN TWO (2) MINS. I RESTARTED THE ENGS, COMPLETED MY CHECKLISTS AND CALLED GND CTL AND ADVISED THEM I WAS READY TO TAXI AGAIN. THEY ASKED IF I COULD ACCEPT AN INTERSECTION DEP ON RWY 12R. I DECLINED AND REQUESTED FULL LENGTH AS IT WAS HOT AND THE ACFT WAS CLOSE TO MGW. GND INSTRUCTED ME TO HOLD SHORT. GND THEN CALLED AND ASKED IF I COULD ACCEPT RWY 12R AT DELTA. I ACCEPTED AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 12R AT DELTA. I COMPLETED MY TAXI AND BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKS AND WAS READY FOR DEP AT THE END. WHILE APPROACHING RWY 12R AT DELTA I WAS CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF WITH NO DELAYS AS THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL. I WAS STILL TAXIING WHEN I RECEIVED THIS CLRNC AND CONTINUED ONTO THE RWY IN A HURRY. HOWEVER, I DID NOT MAKE A HARD ENOUGH TURN TO THE LEFT AND INSTEAD TOOK OFF FROM RWY 17. RWYS 12R AND 17 INTERSECT AT THE APCH END OF EACH AND SHARE THE SAME PAVEMENT AREA. IN MY HURRY TO DEPART I DID NOT REALIZE I WAS ON THE WRONG RWY AND DEPARTED. WHEN GIVEN MY CLRNC TO DEP ON 12R AT DELTA I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO A HDG OF 150 DEGS AFTER DEP. I IMMEDIATELY SET THE HDG IN MY HSI AS A REMINDER AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. I THINK AS A RESULT AND DUE TO THE HURRIED NATURE OF THE TKOF I DID NOT REALIZE MY ERROR IN THE RWY SELECTION. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED MY MISTAKE AND INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN LEFT TO 150 DEGS INSTEAD AND ASKED ME TO CALL DEP. THEY WERE VERY UNDERSTANDING AND WISHED ME A NICE WEEKEND. I DISCOVERED MY ERROR DURING THE TKOF ROLL AND IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY CONTINUED AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TWR. THEY WERE UNDERSTANDING. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS AFFECTED THE ERROR ON MY PART. THE DELAY WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT AND THEN THE RUSHED START AND TAXI, FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL EXCHANGES CONCERNING MY ABILITY TO ACCEPT A SHORTER TKOF LENGTH (WHICH I DECLINED) AND THEN THE INSTRUCTION TO DEPART IMMEDIATELY. I WAS CONSTANTLY CHANGING WHAT I HAD BRIEFED MYSELF AND DID NOT REALIZE THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE TWO RWYS IN MY HURRIED TKOF. AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT I AGAIN REVIEWED THE CHART AND SAW HOW CLOSE THE RWYS WERE AND HOW EASY IT WOULD BE TO DEPART ON THE WRONG ONE. I HAVE ONCE AGAIN LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF VERIFYING THE ACFT'S HEADING ON THE TKOF RWY.

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.