Narrative:

This was my first time at hou, and I was unfamiliar with the airport or local procedures. I filed an IFR flight plan from hou to new, received clearance, contacted ground and was told to taxi from my position at parking to runway 12R at taxiway left for a mid runway takeoff. While taxiing and approaching taxiway left, I was told to monitor the tower. Just after I turned onto taxiway left, I was cleared for takeoff. I was not expecting this. I was still completing my checklist. I should have rejected the takeoff clearance, but attempted to comply and rushed through my checklist (omitting to set the proper squawk). I thought I heard the takeoff clearance to turn left onto runway 12R. (It should have been a right turn.) I was confused by this clearance, but saw another aircraft on the other runway, going toward runway 30R and assumed it had just landed and thought that they had switched runways. I should have questioned the clearance, but I guess I got intimidated by the controller's urgency. As I recall now, my readback was not acknowledged. I started my takeoff roll, and was told to abort and contact ground. Ground brought me back around to runway 12R at intersection G1. I was then cleared for takeoff on runway 17. Intersection G1 faces approximately 120 degrees and there is a runway 12R sign at intersection G1, and a runway 17 sign in the distance. This was disorienting to me, and I said that to the controller. He then got very upset with me and asked that I contact ground. After studying the airport diagram, I realized that intersection G1 centerline curves around onto runway 17, and understood where I was. Ground sent be back to tower, and the tower cleared me and asked that I call the tower when I land. The flight proceeded uneventfully. Lessons and suggestions: 1) I allowed myself to become rushed by the controllers (I should know better). 2) I should have questioned the takeoff clearance. 3) I should have gotten positive acknowledgement of my readback. 4) receiving a takeoff clearance while still taxiing is new to me. I have never received this before, or encountered it in training in over 10 yrs of flying. I assumed that I would have time at a 'run-up' area to complete my checklist, and get ready for takeoff. I recommend that being prepared for this procedure be included in training. 5) the signage at intersection G1 should be improved. There should be a more clear indication that it is the entry to runway 17 and not runway 12R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WRONG RWY TKOF ON RWY 30L WAS ATTEMPTED BY A PVT PLT IN A GRUMMAN AA5A PLT AT HOU, TX.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME AT HOU, AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT OR LCL PROCS. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM HOU TO NEW, RECEIVED CLRNC, CONTACTED GND AND WAS TOLD TO TAXI FROM MY POS AT PARKING TO RWY 12R AT TXWY L FOR A MID RWY TKOF. WHILE TAXIING AND APCHING TXWY L, I WAS TOLD TO MONITOR THE TWR. JUST AFTER I TURNED ONTO TXWY L, I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS. I WAS STILL COMPLETING MY CHKLIST. I SHOULD HAVE REJECTED THE TKOF CLRNC, BUT ATTEMPTED TO COMPLY AND RUSHED THROUGH MY CHKLIST (OMITTING TO SET THE PROPER SQUAWK). I THOUGHT I HEARD THE TKOF CLRNC TO TURN L ONTO RWY 12R. (IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A R TURN.) I WAS CONFUSED BY THIS CLRNC, BUT SAW ANOTHER ACFT ON THE OTHER RWY, GOING TOWARD RWY 30R AND ASSUMED IT HAD JUST LANDED AND THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD SWITCHED RWYS. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CLRNC, BUT I GUESS I GOT INTIMIDATED BY THE CTLR'S URGENCY. AS I RECALL NOW, MY READBACK WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. I STARTED MY TKOF ROLL, AND WAS TOLD TO ABORT AND CONTACT GND. GND BROUGHT ME BACK AROUND TO RWY 12R AT INTXN G1. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 17. INTXN G1 FACES APPROX 120 DEGS AND THERE IS A RWY 12R SIGN AT INTXN G1, AND A RWY 17 SIGN IN THE DISTANCE. THIS WAS DISORIENTING TO ME, AND I SAID THAT TO THE CTLR. HE THEN GOT VERY UPSET WITH ME AND ASKED THAT I CONTACT GND. AFTER STUDYING THE ARPT DIAGRAM, I REALIZED THAT INTXN G1 CTRLINE CURVES AROUND ONTO RWY 17, AND UNDERSTOOD WHERE I WAS. GND SENT BE BACK TO TWR, AND THE TWR CLRED ME AND ASKED THAT I CALL THE TWR WHEN I LAND. THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. LESSONS AND SUGGESTIONS: 1) I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME RUSHED BY THE CTLRS (I SHOULD KNOW BETTER). 2) I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE TKOF CLRNC. 3) I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN POSITIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF MY READBACK. 4) RECEIVING A TKOF CLRNC WHILE STILL TAXIING IS NEW TO ME. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THIS BEFORE, OR ENCOUNTERED IT IN TRAINING IN OVER 10 YRS OF FLYING. I ASSUMED THAT I WOULD HAVE TIME AT A 'RUN-UP' AREA TO COMPLETE MY CHKLIST, AND GET READY FOR TKOF. I RECOMMEND THAT BEING PREPARED FOR THIS PROC BE INCLUDED IN TRAINING. 5) THE SIGNAGE AT INTXN G1 SHOULD BE IMPROVED. THERE SHOULD BE A MORE CLR INDICATION THAT IT IS THE ENTRY TO RWY 17 AND NOT RWY 12R.

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.