Narrative:

I landed at witham field (sua) for a taxi back to the runway for immediate departure. ATC told me to proceed to runway 30 which I had landed on. I proceeded to a point where I saw a sign for runway 30/12 (intersection D). I turned left to proceed to that area. I called the tower and reported that I was at runway 30, intersection at taxiway D. I was cleared for takeoff with left or right turn at my discretion. Unfortunately, I was positioned to take off on a 340 degree heading (ie, I hadn't turned onto runway 30 as I should have). I departed on a taxiway D which parallels runway 34. (I am fairly certain I was departing on the taxiway, as opposed to runway 34, because to get to runway 34 I would have proceeded past and not turned left onto taxiway D.) there are several reasons for this error. First, I spent little time thinking about or studying airport signs and markings prior to my FAA examination. It seemed like 'obvious' stuff, so I didn't focus on it. Second, one gets very used to flying out of their home airport, and other places present different issues. Also, I'm wondering if the FAA examiner, because I did so well on the oral examination in the other areas, felt I didn't need to be quizzed on 'easy' stuff. Also, most of my trips have involved only touch and goes, so it wasn't often that I had to maneuver around a field. In fact it was rare. The point, however, to me is to think and look while on surface areas. I certainly look for traffic but knew, even before this incident I needed more knowledge and confidence while positioning on the field. Also, the teaching system where it's a different instructor each lesson, for someone like me, is terrible. You can easily slip through the cracks on a given issue because they assume you know it. I have, prior to this incident, continued to read and learn about aviation skills. Airport markings was on my short list as I had a markings placard on my desk that I meant to study, but never quite got to it. Since this incident, I have been extensively examining airport markings and signs and thinking about surface movement. I knew I was on the wrong heading (compass-wise) before departure but: 1) wasn't fully convinced I was in the wrong area, and 2) probably wasn't confident enough to be proactive and reposition or call for assistance. But, obviously, that I didn't even confirm that I was on a runway is the most disconcerting to me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME C172 PLT TOOK OFF FROM TXWY D, INSTEAD OF RWY 30 AT SUA.

Narrative: I LANDED AT WITHAM FIELD (SUA) FOR A TAXI BACK TO THE RWY FOR IMMEDIATE DEP. ATC TOLD ME TO PROCEED TO RWY 30 WHICH I HAD LANDED ON. I PROCEEDED TO A POINT WHERE I SAW A SIGN FOR RWY 30/12 (INTXN D). I TURNED L TO PROCEED TO THAT AREA. I CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED THAT I WAS AT RWY 30, INTXN AT TXWY D. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WITH L OR R TURN AT MY DISCRETION. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS POSITIONED TO TAKE OFF ON A 340 DEG HDG (IE, I HADN'T TURNED ONTO RWY 30 AS I SHOULD HAVE). I DEPARTED ON A TXWY D WHICH PARALLELS RWY 34. (I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN I WAS DEPARTING ON THE TXWY, AS OPPOSED TO RWY 34, BECAUSE TO GET TO RWY 34 I WOULD HAVE PROCEEDED PAST AND NOT TURNED L ONTO TXWY D.) THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS ERROR. FIRST, I SPENT LITTLE TIME THINKING ABOUT OR STUDYING ARPT SIGNS AND MARKINGS PRIOR TO MY FAA EXAMINATION. IT SEEMED LIKE 'OBVIOUS' STUFF, SO I DIDN'T FOCUS ON IT. SECOND, ONE GETS VERY USED TO FLYING OUT OF THEIR HOME ARPT, AND OTHER PLACES PRESENT DIFFERENT ISSUES. ALSO, I'M WONDERING IF THE FAA EXAMINER, BECAUSE I DID SO WELL ON THE ORAL EXAMINATION IN THE OTHER AREAS, FELT I DIDN'T NEED TO BE QUIZZED ON 'EASY' STUFF. ALSO, MOST OF MY TRIPS HAVE INVOLVED ONLY TOUCH AND GOES, SO IT WASN'T OFTEN THAT I HAD TO MANEUVER AROUND A FIELD. IN FACT IT WAS RARE. THE POINT, HOWEVER, TO ME IS TO THINK AND LOOK WHILE ON SURFACE AREAS. I CERTAINLY LOOK FOR TFC BUT KNEW, EVEN BEFORE THIS INCIDENT I NEEDED MORE KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE WHILE POSITIONING ON THE FIELD. ALSO, THE TEACHING SYS WHERE IT'S A DIFFERENT INSTRUCTOR EACH LESSON, FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, IS TERRIBLE. YOU CAN EASILY SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS ON A GIVEN ISSUE BECAUSE THEY ASSUME YOU KNOW IT. I HAVE, PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, CONTINUED TO READ AND LEARN ABOUT AVIATION SKILLS. ARPT MARKINGS WAS ON MY SHORT LIST AS I HAD A MARKINGS PLACARD ON MY DESK THAT I MEANT TO STUDY, BUT NEVER QUITE GOT TO IT. SINCE THIS INCIDENT, I HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY EXAMINING ARPT MARKINGS AND SIGNS AND THINKING ABOUT SURFACE MOVEMENT. I KNEW I WAS ON THE WRONG HDG (COMPASS-WISE) BEFORE DEP BUT: 1) WASN'T FULLY CONVINCED I WAS IN THE WRONG AREA, AND 2) PROBABLY WASN'T CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO BE PROACTIVE AND REPOSITION OR CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. BUT, OBVIOUSLY, THAT I DIDN'T EVEN CONFIRM THAT I WAS ON A RWY IS THE MOST DISCONCERTING TO ME.

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.