A lear 45 flight crew performs a low speed abort after realizing that they had lined up with the rig...

Narrative:

We taxied to runway 31C at mdw and held short of the runway on the west side. A B737 landed, and we were instructed to, 'taxi into position and hold.' there was another aircraft holding short of runway 31C opposite of us. The captain had the taxi lights off as a courtesy to the opposite airplane facing us. He left the lights off until we had turned on to the runway apron/displaced threshold. The captain lined up with what he thought was the runway centerline lights. We were given clearance to take off runway 31C. The captain advanced the power levers and the aircraft began to accelerate. As we began to move forward, closer to what we thought were centerline lights, I noticed that the lights were actually the runway edge lights, sticking out of the ground. I yelled, 'left' to urge the captain to maneuver the airplane away from the right side of the runway. The plane swerved to the left and the lights were passed and we remained on the runway. At the same time, the captain reduced power to idle and came to a stop. I called tower over the radio and reported an aborted takeoff. We then taxied clear of the active runway. After we were clear of the runway, tower asked what our intentions were. Both of us were sure that we did not hit anything, but I suggested that we taxi back to the FBO and visually inspect the aircraft to be certain. We taxied back to the FBO where I got out of the airplane to look at the right side of the airplane. I carefully inspected the right wing, right tires, right wheelwell, and the right wheel assembly. There was no evidence of any damage. I got back into the airplane and told the captain. We decided we would taxi back out for takeoff. I think there were a few factors that led to misalignment with the runway. I think that due to the size and lighting the runway 31C's apron/displaced threshold area, it is easy to mistake the right side edge light with the centerline lighting that you see at many airports. Combined with the fact that the captain had the taxi lights off, we probably thought that the space to our right was the right side of the runway. We had also been on duty at this time for over 9 hours. I think fatigue with all of the other factors led to misalignment with the runway. Even when we lined up for takeoff the second time and paid special attention to our position on the runway, it was still evident how someone could have misinterpreted the runway alignment. Supplemental information from acn 537818: the takeoff was aborted from a speed of less than approximately 20 KTS. We held off with turning on our lights as not to blind another aircraft holding short on the other side. Doing this, we may have missed a taxi line that goes from the hold short point to runway center. Both pilots had dismissed an 'odd feeling' of this being a wide runway or 'a something different feeling.' about the time we turned to line up, the PNF remarked 'there's centerline' (actually runway edge markings) and the tower cleared us for takeoff. Poor lighting or marking/lighting for the runway. The right edge lights may appear further up the runway making you think that's centerline.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAR 45 FLC PERFORMS A LOW SPD ABORT AFTER REALIZING THAT THEY HAD LINED UP WITH THE R SIDE RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 31C DURING THE TKOF ROLL, BELIEVING THEM TO BE THE CTRLINE LIGHTS AT MDW, IL.

Narrative: WE TAXIED TO RWY 31C AT MDW AND HELD SHORT OF THE RWY ON THE W SIDE. A B737 LANDED, AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO, 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 31C OPPOSITE OF US. THE CAPT HAD THE TAXI LIGHTS OFF AS A COURTESY TO THE OPPOSITE AIRPLANE FACING US. HE LEFT THE LIGHTS OFF UNTIL WE HAD TURNED ON TO THE RWY APRON/DISPLACED THRESHOLD. THE CAPT LINED UP WITH WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS. WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TAKE OFF RWY 31C. THE CAPT ADVANCED THE PWR LEVERS AND THE ACFT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD, CLOSER TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE CTRLINE LIGHTS, I NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE ACTUALLY THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS, STICKING OUT OF THE GND. I YELLED, 'LEFT' TO URGE THE CAPT TO MANEUVER THE AIRPLANE AWAY FROM THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. THE PLANE SWERVED TO THE L AND THE LIGHTS WERE PASSED AND WE REMAINED ON THE RWY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAPT REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND CAME TO A STOP. I CALLED TWR OVER THE RADIO AND RPTED AN ABORTED TKOF. WE THEN TAXIED CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY. AFTER WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY, TWR ASKED WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE. BOTH OF US WERE SURE THAT WE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, BUT I SUGGESTED THAT WE TAXI BACK TO THE FBO AND VISUALLY INSPECT THE ACFT TO BE CERTAIN. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE FBO WHERE I GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE TO LOOK AT THE R SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. I CAREFULLY INSPECTED THE R WING, R TIRES, R WHEELWELL, AND THE R WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY DAMAGE. I GOT BACK INTO THE AIRPLANE AND TOLD THE CAPT. WE DECIDED WE WOULD TAXI BACK OUT FOR TKOF. I THINK THERE WERE A FEW FACTORS THAT LED TO MISALIGNMENT WITH THE RWY. I THINK THAT DUE TO THE SIZE AND LIGHTING THE RWY 31C'S APRON/DISPLACED THRESHOLD AREA, IT IS EASY TO MISTAKE THE R SIDE EDGE LIGHT WITH THE CTRLINE LIGHTING THAT YOU SEE AT MANY ARPTS. COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT THE CAPT HAD THE TAXI LIGHTS OFF, WE PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT THE SPACE TO OUR R WAS THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. WE HAD ALSO BEEN ON DUTY AT THIS TIME FOR OVER 9 HRS. I THINK FATIGUE WITH ALL OF THE OTHER FACTORS LED TO MISALIGNMENT WITH THE RWY. EVEN WHEN WE LINED UP FOR TKOF THE SECOND TIME AND PAID SPECIAL ATTN TO OUR POS ON THE RWY, IT WAS STILL EVIDENT HOW SOMEONE COULD HAVE MISINTERPRETED THE RWY ALIGNMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537818: THE TKOF WAS ABORTED FROM A SPD OF LESS THAN APPROX 20 KTS. WE HELD OFF WITH TURNING ON OUR LIGHTS AS NOT TO BLIND ANOTHER ACFT HOLDING SHORT ON THE OTHER SIDE. DOING THIS, WE MAY HAVE MISSED A TAXI LINE THAT GOES FROM THE HOLD SHORT POINT TO RWY CTR. BOTH PLTS HAD DISMISSED AN 'ODD FEELING' OF THIS BEING A WIDE RWY OR 'A SOMETHING DIFFERENT FEELING.' ABOUT THE TIME WE TURNED TO LINE UP, THE PNF REMARKED 'THERE'S CTRLINE' (ACTUALLY RWY EDGE MARKINGS) AND THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. POOR LIGHTING OR MARKING/LIGHTING FOR THE RWY. THE R EDGE LIGHTS MAY APPEAR FURTHER UP THE RWY MAKING YOU THINK THAT'S CTRLINE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	537817
Time
Date	200202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 45
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 129 flight time total : 3580 flight time type : 798
ASRS Report	537817
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5000
ASRS Report	537818
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

A lear 45 flight crew performs a low speed abort after realizing that they had lined up with the right side runway lights for runway 31C during the takeoff roll, believing them to be the centerline lights at mdw, il.