Narrative:

I commenced an IFR cross country training flight with a route as follows: sfb-tpa-vrb-mlb-sfb. We departed sfb and had an uneventful flight to tpa. En route to tpa, we requested a practice ILS approach to runway 18L, which was granted. Upon touchdown, we exited the runway, contacted ground and were told to taxi to the ramp. We taxied to the southeast ramp, bounded by txwys east and right at FBO. Prior to calling for taxi clearance, I briefed the student as to the concerns with txwys east and right and as per ATIS, that we could probably expect runway 18L. At this time, we called for our taxi clearance. We were told to taxi to runway 9 at taxiway east and hold short. Upon arrival at the hold short line of runway 9, the student called ground for a clearance to cross. The student was told to contact tower on 119.5. At this time, it became apparent that the intention was for us to depart from this intersection. While holding in position, the student proceeded to execute a line-up checklist. At this time, a king air took off on runway 27. The exchange from this point forward, to the best of my recollection, is as follows: student: 'skyhawk X is holding short on taxiway east of runway 9.tower:'after takeoff, left heading 060, turn right, clear for takeoff.' student: 'clear for takeoff.' as we were taxiing into position, we executed a 180 degree turn on the runway in preparation for takeoff roll. At no time did the tpa tower state the name of the assigned runway. Concurrently, tpa tower cleared an air carrier for takeoff on runway 18R, which struck me as strange. I questioned it in my head, but thought that as our flight path and turn out would have us turning prior to reaching runway 18R, that this must be how they did it at tpa. Immediately upon wheels up, I realized the fault in my reasoning. Almost simultaneously, tpa canceled the heavy's clearance. I took the flight controls and executed a climbing left turn at approximately 200-300 ft AGL prior to crossing the departure end of runway 27 and approximately 1500-2000 ft prior to runway 18R. The radio calls are again, as follows: tower: 'air carrier X, cancel clearance, traffic departing in the wrong direction.' 'aircraft X I see you've seen your mistake.' instructor: 'yes sir, we do, we're turning now. We're very sorry sir, aircraft X.' tower 'aircraft X, continue turn to 060 degrees, 1600 ft on the altitude and over to departure 119.9.' instructor: 'left to 060 degrees 1600 ft on the altitude, over to departure 119.9, and we're very sorry for our mistake.' the conversation that the student and I had focused on a couple of key areas, assumption, communication breakdown, and ATC query: 1) we assumed that since the preceding aircraft were departing to the west, we were as well. 2) tpa tower did not state the runway in the takeoff clearance, nor did we state it on the readback. The logic associated with the preceding acfts' direction of departures was so strong that it caused us to turn right as instructed, then 180 degrees on the runway to depart as had the preceding aircraft. 3) we both found this clearance strange, but unfortunately elected not to question the tower. The airport's procedures were not very familiar to either of us and as such, we thought that this was a standard departure from this intersection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT DESCRIBES DEP FROM TPA ON WRONG RWY RESULTING IN ATC ISSUED ABORT TO ACR DEP FROM INTERSECTING RWY.

Narrative: I COMMENCED AN IFR XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT WITH A RTE AS FOLLOWS: SFB-TPA-VRB-MLB-SFB. WE DEPARTED SFB AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO TPA. ENRTE TO TPA, WE REQUESTED A PRACTICE ILS APCH TO RWY 18L, WHICH WAS GRANTED. UPON TOUCHDOWN, WE EXITED THE RWY, CONTACTED GND AND WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. WE TAXIED TO THE SE RAMP, BOUNDED BY TXWYS E AND R AT FBO. PRIOR TO CALLING FOR TAXI CLRNC, I BRIEFED THE STUDENT AS TO THE CONCERNS WITH TXWYS E AND R AND AS PER ATIS, THAT WE COULD PROBABLY EXPECT RWY 18L. AT THIS TIME, WE CALLED FOR OUR TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 9 AT TXWY E AND HOLD SHORT. UPON ARR AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 9, THE STUDENT CALLED GND FOR A CLRNC TO CROSS. THE STUDENT WAS TOLD TO CONTACT TWR ON 119.5. AT THIS TIME, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE INTENTION WAS FOR US TO DEPART FROM THIS INTXN. WHILE HOLDING IN POS, THE STUDENT PROCEEDED TO EXECUTE A LINE-UP CHKLIST. AT THIS TIME, A KING AIR TOOK OFF ON RWY 27. THE EXCHANGE FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, IS AS FOLLOWS: STUDENT: 'SKYHAWK X IS HOLDING SHORT ON TXWY E OF RWY 9.TWR:'AFTER TKOF, L HDG 060, TURN R, CLR FOR TKOF.' STUDENT: 'CLR FOR TKOF.' AS WE WERE TAXIING INTO POS, WE EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF ROLL. AT NO TIME DID THE TPA TWR STATE THE NAME OF THE ASSIGNED RWY. CONCURRENTLY, TPA TWR CLRED AN ACR FOR TKOF ON RWY 18R, WHICH STRUCK ME AS STRANGE. I QUESTIONED IT IN MY HEAD, BUT THOUGHT THAT AS OUR FLT PATH AND TURN OUT WOULD HAVE US TURNING PRIOR TO REACHING RWY 18R, THAT THIS MUST BE HOW THEY DID IT AT TPA. IMMEDIATELY UPON WHEELS UP, I REALIZED THE FAULT IN MY REASONING. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, TPA CANCELED THE HVY'S CLRNC. I TOOK THE FLT CTLS AND EXECUTED A CLBING L TURN AT APPROX 200-300 FT AGL PRIOR TO XING THE DEP END OF RWY 27 AND APPROX 1500-2000 FT PRIOR TO RWY 18R. THE RADIO CALLS ARE AGAIN, AS FOLLOWS: TWR: 'ACR X, CANCEL CLRNC, TFC DEPARTING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.' 'ACFT X I SEE YOU'VE SEEN YOUR MISTAKE.' INSTRUCTOR: 'YES SIR, WE DO, WE'RE TURNING NOW. WE'RE VERY SORRY SIR, ACFT X.' TWR 'ACFT X, CONTINUE TURN TO 060 DEGS, 1600 FT ON THE ALT AND OVER TO DEP 119.9.' INSTRUCTOR: 'L TO 060 DEGS 1600 FT ON THE ALT, OVER TO DEP 119.9, AND WE'RE VERY SORRY FOR OUR MISTAKE.' THE CONVERSATION THAT THE STUDENT AND I HAD FOCUSED ON A COUPLE OF KEY AREAS, ASSUMPTION, COM BREAKDOWN, AND ATC QUERY: 1) WE ASSUMED THAT SINCE THE PRECEDING ACFT WERE DEPARTING TO THE W, WE WERE AS WELL. 2) TPA TWR DID NOT STATE THE RWY IN THE TKOF CLRNC, NOR DID WE STATE IT ON THE READBACK. THE LOGIC ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRECEDING ACFTS' DIRECTION OF DEPS WAS SO STRONG THAT IT CAUSED US TO TURN R AS INSTRUCTED, THEN 180 DEGS ON THE RWY TO DEPART AS HAD THE PRECEDING ACFT. 3) WE BOTH FOUND THIS CLRNC STRANGE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY ELECTED NOT TO QUESTION THE TWR. THE ARPT'S PROCS WERE NOT VERY FAMILIAR TO EITHER OF US AND AS SUCH, WE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A STANDARD DEP FROM THIS INTXN.

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.