Narrative:

Following a departure problem associated with a wife who didn't show up for our send-off, my daughter (a passenger) was very distraught about not seeing her mother. With other marital problems mounting on top of this, I sat at the run-up point on B3 intersection of runway 35/17 in my C402. A B747 was practicing touch-and-goes and had just turned a long final for runway 17 when the controller asked me if I was ready to depart. With my checklist completed, I replied I was and shoved up the throttles and rationalized the controller must want me to begin the departure quickly so I could safely turn before the B747 got very close (things were racing through my mind with the crying daughter and the sudden need to hurry along on my way). Getting ready to apply takeoff power, the tower hollered that I was going the wrong way (taking off on runway 35). Suddenly realizing my mistake, I turned around and blasted off on runway 17 and got airborne. The entire incident occurred because I was preoccupied with marital problems, a distraught daughter, and I felt I was in a hurry to get things going. Compounding this was the wind direction (it was either 260 degrees at 9 KTS or 270 degrees at 9 KTS, I don't recall), which led me to assume the runway was the right one for the conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VERY DISTRACTED PLT IS CLRED FOR TKOF FROM INTXN B3 AT FAR BUT STARTS HIS ROLL IN THE WRONG DIRECTION WITH TFC ON FINAL.

Narrative: FOLLOWING A DEP PROB ASSOCIATED WITH A WIFE WHO DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR OUR SEND-OFF, MY DAUGHTER (A PAX) WAS VERY DISTRAUGHT ABOUT NOT SEEING HER MOTHER. WITH OTHER MARITAL PROBS MOUNTING ON TOP OF THIS, I SAT AT THE RUN-UP POINT ON B3 INTXN OF RWY 35/17 IN MY C402. A B747 WAS PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES AND HAD JUST TURNED A LONG FINAL FOR RWY 17 WHEN THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I WAS READY TO DEPART. WITH MY CHKLIST COMPLETED, I REPLIED I WAS AND SHOVED UP THE THROTTLES AND RATIONALIZED THE CTLR MUST WANT ME TO BEGIN THE DEP QUICKLY SO I COULD SAFELY TURN BEFORE THE B747 GOT VERY CLOSE (THINGS WERE RACING THROUGH MY MIND WITH THE CRYING DAUGHTER AND THE SUDDEN NEED TO HURRY ALONG ON MY WAY). GETTING READY TO APPLY TKOF PWR, THE TWR HOLLERED THAT I WAS GOING THE WRONG WAY (TAKING OFF ON RWY 35). SUDDENLY REALIZING MY MISTAKE, I TURNED AROUND AND BLASTED OFF ON RWY 17 AND GOT AIRBORNE. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH MARITAL PROBS, A DISTRAUGHT DAUGHTER, AND I FELT I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET THINGS GOING. COMPOUNDING THIS WAS THE WIND DIRECTION (IT WAS EITHER 260 DEGS AT 9 KTS OR 270 DEGS AT 9 KTS, I DON'T RECALL), WHICH LED ME TO ASSUME THE RWY WAS THE RIGHT ONE FOR THE CONDITIONS.

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.