Narrative:

I approached the airport from the south. The wind was 010 degrees at 7 KTS. As I neared the airport, the controller offered runway 6. The wind was now 030 degrees at 11 KTS. I landed on runway 6. I taxied to the ramp. The ramp attendant parked me next to the taxiway facing away from the taxiway. After discharging my passenger, I got back into the aircraft and started up. I radioed clearance and switched to ground control. As I looked up, I saw the ramp attendant signaling me to taxi out. I started to taxi up and made the 180 degree turn to get onto the taxiway. As I turned, I saw another aircraft taxiing in. Apparently the ramp attendant was marshalling the other aircraft. However, he was in front of me as I was next to taxiway facing away from it. I taxied out of the way and after the other aircraft passed I proceeded to the runway at taxiway C. My mind was preoccupied by what just happened. I noticed a learjet rolling out on runway 10. The tower controller cleared me to take off on runway 28 with right turn out. Before I could acknowledge, another aircraft (a military aircraft) tried to call tower. I then acknowledged and proceeded to take off down runway 10. My mind was oriented this way because I had just landed and the wind was from the northeast. I fly into this airport often and normal procedures to take off would be to take off on runway 10 and turn right on course or take off on runway 28 and turn southeast. The tower controller noticed I was going the wrong way. He canceled my takeoff clearance. I turned around and took off in the proper direction when he reissued clearance to take off on runway 28. By this time I was really confused and proceeded to turn left on course as is normal procedure. The controller commented that we were not communicating too well and pointed out my mistake. Meanwhile, while all this was happening, the military pilot kept trying to call the tower not waiting to be acknowledged. We then straightened out the instructions and I proceeded to my destination. Before handing me off, the controller told me to call the tower when I landed. I did and we discussed the problem. The chain of events started when I was on the ramp. I was confused by the taxi instructions of the ramp attendant. This led to the confusion with the tower. Adding to the problem was that the tower changed runways while I was on the ramp. The confusion was totally my fault, however, the tower controller could have mentioned that there was a runway change in the 10 mins I was on the ground instead of dry instructions. He knew I just landed. It also didn't help that the learjet was taxiing down runway 10. The solution to all this is to just slow down bit and triplechk every situation and to not rely on habit patterns and assume regular procedures.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C185 PLT ATTEMPTS TKOF IN WRONG DIRECTION AT MSY.

Narrative: I APCHED THE ARPT FROM THE S. THE WIND WAS 010 DEGS AT 7 KTS. AS I NEARED THE ARPT, THE CTLR OFFERED RWY 6. THE WIND WAS NOW 030 DEGS AT 11 KTS. I LANDED ON RWY 6. I TAXIED TO THE RAMP. THE RAMP ATTENDANT PARKED ME NEXT TO THE TXWY FACING AWAY FROM THE TXWY. AFTER DISCHARGING MY PAX, I GOT BACK INTO THE ACFT AND STARTED UP. I RADIOED CLRNC AND SWITCHED TO GND CTL. AS I LOOKED UP, I SAW THE RAMP ATTENDANT SIGNALING ME TO TAXI OUT. I STARTED TO TAXI UP AND MADE THE 180 DEG TURN TO GET ONTO THE TXWY. AS I TURNED, I SAW ANOTHER ACFT TAXIING IN. APPARENTLY THE RAMP ATTENDANT WAS MARSHALLING THE OTHER ACFT. HOWEVER, HE WAS IN FRONT OF ME AS I WAS NEXT TO TXWY FACING AWAY FROM IT. I TAXIED OUT OF THE WAY AND AFTER THE OTHER ACFT PASSED I PROCEEDED TO THE RWY AT TXWY C. MY MIND WAS PREOCCUPIED BY WHAT JUST HAPPENED. I NOTICED A LEARJET ROLLING OUT ON RWY 10. THE TWR CTLR CLRED ME TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 28 WITH R TURN OUT. BEFORE I COULD ACKNOWLEDGE, ANOTHER ACFT (A MIL ACFT) TRIED TO CALL TWR. I THEN ACKNOWLEDGED AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF DOWN RWY 10. MY MIND WAS ORIENTED THIS WAY BECAUSE I HAD JUST LANDED AND THE WIND WAS FROM THE NE. I FLY INTO THIS ARPT OFTEN AND NORMAL PROCS TO TAKE OFF WOULD BE TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 10 AND TURN R ON COURSE OR TAKE OFF ON RWY 28 AND TURN SE. THE TWR CTLR NOTICED I WAS GOING THE WRONG WAY. HE CANCELED MY TKOF CLRNC. I TURNED AROUND AND TOOK OFF IN THE PROPER DIRECTION WHEN HE REISSUED CLRNC TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 28. BY THIS TIME I WAS REALLY CONFUSED AND PROCEEDED TO TURN L ON COURSE AS IS NORMAL PROC. THE CTLR COMMENTED THAT WE WERE NOT COMMUNICATING TOO WELL AND POINTED OUT MY MISTAKE. MEANWHILE, WHILE ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE MIL PLT KEPT TRYING TO CALL THE TWR NOT WAITING TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED. WE THEN STRAIGHTENED OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS AND I PROCEEDED TO MY DEST. BEFORE HANDING ME OFF, THE CTLR TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I LANDED. I DID AND WE DISCUSSED THE PROB. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS STARTED WHEN I WAS ON THE RAMP. I WAS CONFUSED BY THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS OF THE RAMP ATTENDANT. THIS LED TO THE CONFUSION WITH THE TWR. ADDING TO THE PROB WAS THAT THE TWR CHANGED RWYS WHILE I WAS ON THE RAMP. THE CONFUSION WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT, HOWEVER, THE TWR CTLR COULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A RWY CHANGE IN THE 10 MINS I WAS ON THE GND INSTEAD OF DRY INSTRUCTIONS. HE KNEW I JUST LANDED. IT ALSO DIDN'T HELP THAT THE LEARJET WAS TAXIING DOWN RWY 10. THE SOLUTION TO ALL THIS IS TO JUST SLOW DOWN BIT AND TRIPLECHK EVERY SIT AND TO NOT RELY ON HABIT PATTERNS AND ASSUME REGULAR PROCS.

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.