Narrative:

Our hawker 800 was given clearance to taxi from FBO to runway 07L at las. Captain was PIC at the time and was taxiing the airplane while I ran the taxi checks and briefed the departure procedure we were assigned. When we reached the hold short line for runway 07L, we were instructed to hold short for traffic. After a few minutes holding we were cleared for takeoff on runway 07L. I believe this is where the confusion leading to the incursion took place. Runway 07L joins runway 01L in a big open area where we were positioned. This area is somewhat confusing and there aren't many signs here either. After las tower cleared us for takeoff the captain taxied on to the runway and I did the line up checks. We were then instructed to expedite due to traffic landing so the throttles came up and about four seconds into the roll we were told to abort takeoff and clear the runway. As we taxied back to the runway 07L hold short line again, the captain figured out what had just happened. We were then cleared to departure runway 07L and did so. I feel like this occurred as a result of the lack of signs at that area warning of something like this happening. The controller that captain talked to told us that this happens a lot there. The airport diagram is not labeled as a 'hot spot' that might have been a warning to look at the area closer. When ATC told us to expedite we rushed and didn't check our heading to see if it lined up with the runway number. I believe ATC was doing their job and was not to blame but the fact that we had to expedite the departure may have been a big factor leading to us not catching the mistake before it was made. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the first officer reported that the PIC was a retired airline captain with an excellent record and very judicious in his flying. First officer said that he can recall a runway 01L left sign but not the runway 07L sign. The hold area was very large with the crew possibly focusing on the cement connected to runway 01L in front of them. They had already passed the hold short line for runway 07L per tower's request as takeoff was imminent. Therefore, their angle to runway 01L was less than 45 degrees. Crew had always used runway 19 for takeoff. Local controller said this occurs quite frequently. Reporter suggested a hot spot be placed on the airport chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ABORTED TKOF ORDERED BY LCL CTLR AT LAS AFTER AN ATTEMPTED WRONG RWY TKOF ON RWY 01L BY A H25B FLC WHEN EXPEDITING THEIR TKOF ON WHAT FLC BELIEVED WAS RWY 07L.

Narrative: OUR HAWKER 800 WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI FROM FBO TO RWY 07L AT LAS. CAPT WAS PIC AT THE TIME AND WAS TAXIING THE AIRPLANE WHILE I RAN THE TAXI CHKS AND BRIEFED THE DEP PROC WE WERE ASSIGNED. WHEN WE REACHED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 07L, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT FOR TFC. AFTER A FEW MINUTES HOLDING WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 07L. I BELIEVE THIS IS WHERE THE CONFUSION LEADING TO THE INCURSION TOOK PLACE. RWY 07L JOINS RWY 01L IN A BIG OPEN AREA WHERE WE WERE POSITIONED. THIS AREA IS SOMEWHAT CONFUSING AND THERE AREN'T MANY SIGNS HERE EITHER. AFTER LAS TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF THE CAPT TAXIED ON TO THE RWY AND I DID THE LINE UP CHKS. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO EXPEDITE DUE TO TFC LNDG SO THE THROTTLES CAME UP AND ABOUT FOUR SECONDS INTO THE ROLL WE WERE TOLD TO ABORT TKOF AND CLR THE RWY. AS WE TAXIED BACK TO THE RWY 07L HOLD SHORT LINE AGAIN, THE CAPT FIGURED OUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO DEP RWY 07L AND DID SO. I FEEL LIKE THIS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE LACK OF SIGNS AT THAT AREA WARNING OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING. THE CTLR THAT CAPT TALKED TO TOLD US THAT THIS HAPPENS A LOT THERE. THE ARPT DIAGRAM IS NOT LABELED AS A 'HOT SPOT' THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A WARNING TO LOOK AT THE AREA CLOSER. WHEN ATC TOLD US TO EXPEDITE WE RUSHED AND DIDN'T CHK OUR HDG TO SEE IF IT LINED UP WITH THE RWY NUMBER. I BELIEVE ATC WAS DOING THEIR JOB AND WAS NOT TO BLAME BUT THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO EXPEDITE THE DEP MAY HAVE BEEN A BIG FACTOR LEADING TO US NOT CATCHING THE MISTAKE BEFORE IT WAS MADE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO RPTED THAT THE PIC WAS A RETIRED AIRLINE CAPT WITH AN EXCELLENT RECORD AND VERY JUDICIOUS IN HIS FLYING. FO SAID THAT HE CAN RECALL A RWY 01L LEFT SIGN BUT NOT THE RWY 07L SIGN. THE HOLD AREA WAS VERY LARGE WITH THE CREW POSSIBLY FOCUSING ON THE CEMENT CONNECTED TO RWY 01L IN FRONT OF THEM. THEY HAD ALREADY PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 07L PER TWR'S REQUEST AS TKOF WAS IMMINENT. THEREFORE, THEIR ANGLE TO RWY 01L WAS LESS THAN 45 DEGS. CREW HAD ALWAYS USED RWY 19 FOR TKOF. LCL CTLR SAID THIS OCCURS QUITE FREQUENTLY. RPTR SUGGESTED A HOT SPOT BE PLACED ON THE ARPT CHART.

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.