Narrative:

From the terminal building at GGG; I picked up my IFR clearance and received progressive taxi instructions to expect an intersection takeoff and to taxi to runway 17 via taxiway H from the terminal building. Ground control asked me to stop at the hold short line to prepare for my departure. I contacted the tower and was cleared for an intersection (at taxiway H) departure on runway 17. The intersection where I was asked to hold short contains 2 runways in addition to taxiway H. When I was cleared for takeoff; I taxied onto the runway and departed. Once I was on the takeoff roll I realized that my heading indicator did not agree with the heading which would indicate I was on runway 17 and that I must have departed on runway 13. Due to the fact that I departed at an intersection; no runway number was visible on the runway. There were no other aircraft landing or departing from the airport at the time and no conflict or compromise in traffic separation occurred. I contacted the tower and asked about my departure on runway 13 instead of runway 17 and asked if I needed follow-up with them on anything. The tower said that they thought that I might have taken off from the wrong runway. At that point the tower asked me to contact departure as I left airport area. Chain of events: the issue arose as I received progressive taxi instructions to an intersection where 2 runways (runway 13 and runway 17) and my assigned taxiway intersect within the first 1/3 of the runways. I was cleared to take off from that intersection position and mistakenly departed runway 13 instead of runway 17. In order for me to turn onto runway 17 (my assigned runway) from my position; I would have had to make a 130 degree r-hand turn. Instead; I made a 90 degree turn onto runway 13. Contributing factors: I should have reviewed the airport diagram prior to taxi and I should have checked my heading indicator prior to turning onto the runway and again once I was on the runway. Another factor; perhaps; was the change to a different controller directing me in the tower from the time I stopped at the hold short line to the time I was cleared for takeoff. Nighttime operations made visual discernment of the intersection more difficult. Discovery of the event: I discovered my mistake by noting my heading indicator during the takeoff roll. Corrective actions: in order to prevent this issue from occurring again; I will review my airport diagram; ask for clarity if I am uncertain of my location or instructions; note any runway markings or signs and carefully watch my heading indicator as I am ready to enter a runway to make sure it makes sense. Perceptions; judgements; decisions: I relied too much on the progressive taxi instructions and not enough on the airport diagram and my own observations. Factors affecting the quality of human performance: overconfidence and unreasonable expectations in the tower staff in providing detailed information without my initial review of the situation or airport diagram. Actions or inactions: my inaction regarding review of the airport diagram prior to taxi and my lack of review of my heading indicator prior to crossing the hold short line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PILOT REPORTS DEPARTING FROM WRONG RWY WHEN CLEARED FOR TKOF FROM INTERSECTION OF RWYS 13 AND 17 AT GGG.

Narrative: FROM THE TERMINAL BUILDING AT GGG; I PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC AND RECEIVED PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPECT AN INTXN TKOF AND TO TAXI TO RWY 17 VIA TXWY H FROM THE TERMINAL BUILDING. GND CTL ASKED ME TO STOP AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO PREPARE FOR MY DEP. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND WAS CLRED FOR AN INTXN (AT TXWY H) DEP ON RWY 17. THE INTXN WHERE I WAS ASKED TO HOLD SHORT CONTAINS 2 RWYS IN ADDITION TO TXWY H. WHEN I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF; I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND DEPARTED. ONCE I WAS ON THE TKOF ROLL I REALIZED THAT MY HDG INDICATOR DID NOT AGREE WITH THE HDG WHICH WOULD INDICATE I WAS ON RWY 17 AND THAT I MUST HAVE DEPARTED ON RWY 13. DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DEPARTED AT AN INTXN; NO RWY NUMBER WAS VISIBLE ON THE RWY. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT LNDG OR DEPARTING FROM THE ARPT AT THE TIME AND NO CONFLICT OR COMPROMISE IN TFC SEPARATION OCCURRED. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND ASKED ABOUT MY DEP ON RWY 13 INSTEAD OF RWY 17 AND ASKED IF I NEEDED FOLLOW-UP WITH THEM ON ANYTHING. THE TWR SAID THAT THEY THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT HAVE TAKEN OFF FROM THE WRONG RWY. AT THAT POINT THE TWR ASKED ME TO CONTACT DEP AS I LEFT ARPT AREA. CHAIN OF EVENTS: THE ISSUE AROSE AS I RECEIVED PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO AN INTXN WHERE 2 RWYS (RWY 13 AND RWY 17) AND MY ASSIGNED TXWY INTERSECT WITHIN THE FIRST 1/3 OF THE RWYS. I WAS CLRED TO TAKE OFF FROM THAT INTXN POS AND MISTAKENLY DEPARTED RWY 13 INSTEAD OF RWY 17. IN ORDER FOR ME TO TURN ONTO RWY 17 (MY ASSIGNED RWY) FROM MY POS; I WOULD HAVE HAD TO MAKE A 130 DEG R-HAND TURN. INSTEAD; I MADE A 90 DEG TURN ONTO RWY 13. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED THE ARPT DIAGRAM PRIOR TO TAXI AND I SHOULD HAVE CHKED MY HDG INDICATOR PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO THE RWY AND AGAIN ONCE I WAS ON THE RWY. ANOTHER FACTOR; PERHAPS; WAS THE CHANGE TO A DIFFERENT CTLR DIRECTING ME IN THE TWR FROM THE TIME I STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO THE TIME I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. NIGHTTIME OPS MADE VISUAL DISCERNMENT OF THE INTXN MORE DIFFICULT. DISCOVERY OF THE EVENT: I DISCOVERED MY MISTAKE BY NOTING MY HDG INDICATOR DURING THE TKOF ROLL. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM OCCURRING AGAIN; I WILL REVIEW MY ARPT DIAGRAM; ASK FOR CLARITY IF I AM UNCERTAIN OF MY LOCATION OR INSTRUCTIONS; NOTE ANY RWY MARKINGS OR SIGNS AND CAREFULLY WATCH MY HDG INDICATOR AS I AM READY TO ENTER A RWY TO MAKE SURE IT MAKES SENSE. PERCEPTIONS; JUDGEMENTS; DECISIONS: I RELIED TOO MUCH ON THE PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND NOT ENOUGH ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND MY OWN OBSERVATIONS. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: OVERCONFIDENCE AND UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS IN THE TWR STAFF IN PROVIDING DETAILED INFO WITHOUT MY INITIAL REVIEW OF THE SITUATION OR ARPT DIAGRAM. ACTIONS OR INACTIONS: MY INACTION REGARDING REVIEW OF THE ARPT DIAGRAM PRIOR TO TAXI AND MY LACK OF REVIEW OF MY HDG INDICATOR PRIOR TO XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.