Narrative:

This flight is a cargo feeder. It departs ZZZ for ZZZ2 then returns to ZZZ1 4 nights a week. I have flown this run for the last 3 1/2 yrs with well over 500 departures, event and situation free. Standard ground operating procedures for departing ZZZ from the cargo ramp is pick up flight clearance, contact ramp tower, and proceed to designated exit spot which normally is spot X and contact ground control. WX permitting, the expected departure runway is runway 9, which is just a short distance from spot X joining V2, a high speed exit ramp also used for regular caravan departures. Many times we are cleared for takeoff from spot X by ground control (we never ask for it) but which is still a little distance from the runway while still on ground frequency. This means continuous taxi right up to takeoff roll if you're ready. On the morning of my incident, I taxied to spot X, called ground control. They then advised me that V2 runway 9 was available, which I accepted. He also stated that there was inbound traffic 2 1/2 mi out landing runway 18L that would be crossing behind me on my takeoff roll. I said roger. I then switched to tower frequency, same controller. I was expecting an immediate clearance due to traffic that would be crossing over my takeoff roll. With all this in mind, I indicated that I was ready for takeoff. The controller responded by saying 'roger!' mistakenly, under those circumstances, I continued my roll, thinking that I had been cleared because of what had been said. Rather, the words 'hold short landing traffic' or 'taxi in position and old' or 'stand by' or 'cleared for takeoff' is what I should have responded to none. Tower advised me on my climb out of my error and stated that 'in the future, remember that 'roger' is not a clearance.' I apologized grievously knowing instinctively the word 'clear' is the go word, I should have asked for clarification. Contributing factors: 1) allowing myself as single pilot captain to be influenced along by taxi procedures that encourage not coming to a full stop before taking the active. 2) confusing phraseology at that moment. 3) distraction about crossing traffic. Corrective actions: 1) listen and communicate more effectively. 2) stop at end of runway, no continuous rolling taxi takeoffs. 3) utilize runway ends having stop bar lights (intxns do not). 4) announce taking active runway. 5) accept nothing short of the correct phraseology.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT INITIATED AND COMPLETED TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS FLT IS A CARGO FEEDER. IT DEPARTS ZZZ FOR ZZZ2 THEN RETURNS TO ZZZ1 4 NIGHTS A WK. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RUN FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YRS WITH WELL OVER 500 DEPS, EVENT AND SIT FREE. STANDARD GND OPERATING PROCS FOR DEPARTING ZZZ FROM THE CARGO RAMP IS PICK UP FLT CLRNC, CONTACT RAMP TWR, AND PROCEED TO DESIGNATED EXIT SPOT WHICH NORMALLY IS SPOT X AND CONTACT GND CTL. WX PERMITTING, THE EXPECTED DEP RWY IS RWY 9, WHICH IS JUST A SHORT DISTANCE FROM SPOT X JOINING V2, A HIGH SPD EXIT RAMP ALSO USED FOR REGULAR CARAVAN DEPS. MANY TIMES WE ARE CLRED FOR TKOF FROM SPOT X BY GND CTL (WE NEVER ASK FOR IT) BUT WHICH IS STILL A LITTLE DISTANCE FROM THE RWY WHILE STILL ON GND FREQ. THIS MEANS CONTINUOUS TAXI RIGHT UP TO TKOF ROLL IF YOU'RE READY. ON THE MORNING OF MY INCIDENT, I TAXIED TO SPOT X, CALLED GND CTL. THEY THEN ADVISED ME THAT V2 RWY 9 WAS AVAILABLE, WHICH I ACCEPTED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS INBOUND TFC 2 1/2 MI OUT LNDG RWY 18L THAT WOULD BE XING BEHIND ME ON MY TKOF ROLL. I SAID ROGER. I THEN SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ, SAME CTLR. I WAS EXPECTING AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC DUE TO TFC THAT WOULD BE XING OVER MY TKOF ROLL. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, I INDICATED THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY SAYING 'ROGER!' MISTAKENLY, UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, I CONTINUED MY ROLL, THINKING THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED BECAUSE OF WHAT HAD BEEN SAID. RATHER, THE WORDS 'HOLD SHORT LNDG TFC' OR 'TAXI IN POS AND OLD' OR 'STAND BY' OR 'CLRED FOR TKOF' IS WHAT I SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO NONE. TWR ADVISED ME ON MY CLBOUT OF MY ERROR AND STATED THAT 'IN THE FUTURE, REMEMBER THAT 'ROGER' IS NOT A CLRNC.' I APOLOGIZED GRIEVOUSLY KNOWING INSTINCTIVELY THE WORD 'CLR' IS THE GO WORD, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) ALLOWING MYSELF AS SINGLE PLT CAPT TO BE INFLUENCED ALONG BY TAXI PROCS THAT ENCOURAGE NOT COMING TO A FULL STOP BEFORE TAKING THE ACTIVE. 2) CONFUSING PHRASEOLOGY AT THAT MOMENT. 3) DISTR ABOUT XING TFC. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) LISTEN AND COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY. 2) STOP AT END OF RWY, NO CONTINUOUS ROLLING TAXI TKOFS. 3) UTILIZE RWY ENDS HAVING STOP BAR LIGHTS (INTXNS DO NOT). 4) ANNOUNCE TAKING ACTIVE RWY. 5) ACCEPT NOTHING SHORT OF THE CORRECT PHRASEOLOGY.

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.