Narrative:

Runways 7R, 7L and 12 were in use. ATIS advised to contact long beach clearance with departure and runway request, which I did. I requested runway 7R. Clearance asked if I could accept runway 12 at taxiway G. I confirmed to them that I could. When I contacted ground and advised them that I wanted to taxi for takeoff they cleared me to taxi to runway 12 via txwys B and G. Since I was mentally prepared to taxi to runway 7R, I asked ground control for a progressive to runway 12 at taxiway G, which they gave me. After performing the aircraft run-up, I contacted the tower and told them that I was ready for takeoff and requested a left turn after takeoff to intercept the van nuys 140 degree radial for a hollywood park transition. The controller approved this. The tower controller then cleared me for takeoff. As I taxied onto the runway, I inadvertently turned left and taxied onto runway 30, rather than turning right onto runway 12. Without realizing my mistake, I started my takeoff roll. At that time, the tower controller told me to abort the takeoff, which I did after rolling several hundred feet. The tower controller instructed me to make a 180 degree turn and cleared me for takeoff again without further incident. Looking back at the situation, I feel the following were contributing factors. 1) being mentally prepared to taxi to another runway, then accepting a different runway assignment without reviewing an airport layout diagram. Several txwys were also closed at that time to add to my confusion; 2) at the time I asked the tower controller prior to takeoff for a left turnout, I was already confused about the runway heading but didn't realize it. A left turn will not intercept the van nuys 140 degree radial from runway 12, but would for runway 30. If the controller would have corrected my mistake of asking for a left turn for the transition and issued a right hand turn, I probably would have realized my mistake before it happened; 3) my home base airport has only runways 12 and 30, with runway 30 being in use most of the time. I think when I taxied to the intersection for takeoff it was mentally natural for me to turn onto runway 30 without thinking out the situation; 4) my failure to confirm the runway I was turning onto by simply looking at the runway identify signs and; 5) my failure to confirm aircraft heading during and after turning onto the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA46 PLT CLRED FOR INTXN TKOF FROM TXWY G ON RWY 12 AT LGB TURNED WRONG DIRECTION AND STARTED TKOF ROLL ON RWY 30. LCL CTLR CAUGHT ERROR AND THE TKOF WAS ABORTED.

Narrative: RWYS 7R, 7L AND 12 WERE IN USE. ATIS ADVISED TO CONTACT LONG BEACH CLRNC WITH DEP AND RWY REQUEST, WHICH I DID. I REQUESTED RWY 7R. CLRNC ASKED IF I COULD ACCEPT RWY 12 AT TXWY G. I CONFIRMED TO THEM THAT I COULD. WHEN I CONTACTED GND AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WANTED TO TAXI FOR TKOF THEY CLRED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 12 VIA TXWYS B AND G. SINCE I WAS MENTALLY PREPARED TO TAXI TO RWY 7R, I ASKED GND CTL FOR A PROGRESSIVE TO RWY 12 AT TXWY G, WHICH THEY GAVE ME. AFTER PERFORMING THE ACFT RUN-UP, I CONTACTED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF AND REQUESTED A L TURN AFTER TKOF TO INTERCEPT THE VAN NUYS 140 DEG RADIAL FOR A HOLLYWOOD PARK TRANSITION. THE CTLR APPROVED THIS. THE TWR CTLR THEN CLRED ME FOR TKOF. AS I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY, I INADVERTENTLY TURNED L AND TAXIED ONTO RWY 30, RATHER THAN TURNING R ONTO RWY 12. WITHOUT REALIZING MY MISTAKE, I STARTED MY TKOF ROLL. AT THAT TIME, THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME TO ABORT THE TKOF, WHICH I DID AFTER ROLLING SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET. THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND CLRED ME FOR TKOF AGAIN WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. LOOKING BACK AT THE SIT, I FEEL THE FOLLOWING WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. 1) BEING MENTALLY PREPARED TO TAXI TO ANOTHER RWY, THEN ACCEPTING A DIFFERENT RWY ASSIGNMENT WITHOUT REVIEWING AN ARPT LAYOUT DIAGRAM. SEVERAL TXWYS WERE ALSO CLOSED AT THAT TIME TO ADD TO MY CONFUSION; 2) AT THE TIME I ASKED THE TWR CTLR PRIOR TO TKOF FOR A L TURNOUT, I WAS ALREADY CONFUSED ABOUT THE RWY HEADING BUT DIDN'T REALIZE IT. A L TURN WILL NOT INTERCEPT THE VAN NUYS 140 DEG RADIAL FROM RWY 12, BUT WOULD FOR RWY 30. IF THE CTLR WOULD HAVE CORRECTED MY MISTAKE OF ASKING FOR A L TURN FOR THE TRANSITION AND ISSUED A R HAND TURN, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE REALIZED MY MISTAKE BEFORE IT HAPPENED; 3) MY HOME BASE ARPT HAS ONLY RWYS 12 AND 30, WITH RWY 30 BEING IN USE MOST OF THE TIME. I THINK WHEN I TAXIED TO THE INTXN FOR TKOF IT WAS MENTALLY NATURAL FOR ME TO TURN ONTO RWY 30 WITHOUT THINKING OUT THE SIT; 4) MY FAILURE TO CONFIRM THE RWY I WAS TURNING ONTO BY SIMPLY LOOKING AT THE RWY IDENT SIGNS AND; 5) MY FAILURE TO CONFIRM ACFT HEADING DURING AND AFTER TURNING ONTO THE 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.