Narrative:

On taxi out, we were cleared to taxi to, and subsequently cleared to take off from runway 8. Men and equipment on taxiway R7. Normal takeoff and climb out. On departure all runway and taxiway lights were illuminated. It was later reported we departed from a closed runway, and missed a barricade by 12 ft. Runway was not notamed closed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the flight had been originally cleared to runway 35L but the crew had then requested runway 8 for performance considerations which was granted by ATC. The PIC stated that the ATIS was not monitored by the crew as they received their ATIS information by ACARS. The crew was tired as they were on the back side of the clock and this was their 4TH leg that evening. The barricade was not noted on rotation as there was a dust cloud during the takeoff roll that had been created by the construction activity by taxiway R7. The crew received a call later the next day from the chief pilot regarding this event, stating that the flight also narrowly missed a construction light pole. There are no known proposed penalties for the crew as the local controller was removed from schedule. It was further surmised that improper procedures were used in that the runway lights, the lead in lights and the taxiway lights associated with the runway used were all in an operational mode. Supplemental information from acn 525798: I was unsure as of today if runway 8 was notamed closed. We radioed denver tower we were ready to take off on runway 8 and received clearance to take off. Men and equipment were working on taxiway R7 but were not on runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CARGO FLT ALLEGEDLY DEPARTED FROM A CLOSED RWY DURING A NIGHT OP AT DEN, CO.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO TAKE OFF FROM RWY 8. MEN AND EQUIP ON TXWY R7. NORMAL TKOF AND CLBOUT. ON DEP ALL RWY AND TXWY LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. IT WAS LATER RPTED WE DEPARTED FROM A CLOSED RWY, AND MISSED A BARRICADE BY 12 FT. RWY WAS NOT NOTAMED CLOSED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLT HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY CLRED TO RWY 35L BUT THE CREW HAD THEN REQUESTED RWY 8 FOR PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS WHICH WAS GRANTED BY ATC. THE PIC STATED THAT THE ATIS WAS NOT MONITORED BY THE CREW AS THEY RECEIVED THEIR ATIS INFO BY ACARS. THE CREW WAS TIRED AS THEY WERE ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK AND THIS WAS THEIR 4TH LEG THAT EVENING. THE BARRICADE WAS NOT NOTED ON ROTATION AS THERE WAS A DUST CLOUD DURING THE TKOF ROLL THAT HAD BEEN CREATED BY THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY BY TXWY R7. THE CREW RECEIVED A CALL LATER THE NEXT DAY FROM THE CHIEF PLT REGARDING THIS EVENT, STATING THAT THE FLT ALSO NARROWLY MISSED A CONSTRUCTION LIGHT POLE. THERE ARE NO KNOWN PROPOSED PENALTIES FOR THE CREW AS THE LCL CTLR WAS REMOVED FROM SCHEDULE. IT WAS FURTHER SURMISED THAT IMPROPER PROCS WERE USED IN THAT THE RWY LIGHTS, THE LEAD IN LIGHTS AND THE TXWY LIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RWY USED WERE ALL IN AN OPERATIONAL MODE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 525798: I WAS UNSURE AS OF TODAY IF RWY 8 WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. WE RADIOED DENVER TWR WE WERE READY TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 8 AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAKE OFF. MEN AND EQUIP WERE WORKING ON TXWY R7 BUT WERE NOT ON 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.