Narrative:

We were taxiing from terminal bldg to runway 23L at cleveland hopkins airport for takeoff. When cleared for takeoff, we taxied onto the runway where runways 23L and 28 intersect, and I mistakenly lined up on runway 28 instead of 23L. As we added power and began to roll, cle tower told us to abort. Since we then stopped at the intersection of 28 and 23R, tower cleared us to takeoff on 23R, which we did. The layout of runways at this airport and the angle from which you approach the runways is confusing and can easily lead to this situation unless the crew is very cautious and ensures their compass heading agrees with assigned runway heading, which I did not prior to starting to roll. No conflict with other traffic occurred. Although I have not been to cleveland very many times in the past 8 yrs, I operated in and out of there several times during the 1970's when I was flying the medium large transport. One of the things I remember about cleveland from those days was the taxiway chart in the commercial book was not like the 'real world' of asphalt and concrete in cleveland, therefore, I had learned not to rely too heavily on the chart to be real accurate. There is construction going on now west of the ramp and along the east side of runway 23L, so I suspect the chart is not real accurate as of today, either. One of the things which 'led me down the primrose path' so to speak and contributed to this incident was the fact the runway lights were illuminated on runway 28, when the active runways were 23L and 23R. In view of the layout of the cleveland runways, I would highly recommend the lights only be illuminated on the active runways, to assist in decreasing the confusion which can lead to this sort of an occurrence. In addition, perhaps it would be advisable to have a NOTAM from cleveland, alerting pilots to this possibility, such as I have described above. Supplemental information from acn 96453. Shortly before clearance to takeoff, I and the rest of the flight crew were distracted by a problem with cockpit lighting. Once the problem was solved, we were cleared for takeoff on runway 23L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT STARTED TKOF ROLL ON THE WRONG RWY AT CLE. TWR CALLED FOR AN ABORT AND RECLEARED THEM FOR OTHER PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING FROM TERMINAL BLDG TO RWY 23L AT CLEVELAND HOPKINS ARPT FOR TKOF. WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF, WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY WHERE RWYS 23L AND 28 INTERSECT, AND I MISTAKENLY LINED UP ON RWY 28 INSTEAD OF 23L. AS WE ADDED POWER AND BEGAN TO ROLL, CLE TWR TOLD US TO ABORT. SINCE WE THEN STOPPED AT THE INTXN OF 28 AND 23R, TWR CLRED US TO TKOF ON 23R, WHICH WE DID. THE LAYOUT OF RWYS AT THIS ARPT AND THE ANGLE FROM WHICH YOU APCH THE RWYS IS CONFUSING AND CAN EASILY LEAD TO THIS SITUATION UNLESS THE CREW IS VERY CAUTIOUS AND ENSURES THEIR COMPASS HDG AGREES WITH ASSIGNED RWY HDG, WHICH I DID NOT PRIOR TO STARTING TO ROLL. NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC OCCURRED. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT BEEN TO CLEVELAND VERY MANY TIMES IN THE PAST 8 YRS, I OPERATED IN AND OUT OF THERE SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE 1970'S WHEN I WAS FLYING THE MLG. ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER ABOUT CLEVELAND FROM THOSE DAYS WAS THE TXWY CHART IN THE COMMERCIAL BOOK WAS NOT LIKE THE 'REAL WORLD' OF ASPHALT AND CONCRETE IN CLEVELAND, THEREFORE, I HAD LEARNED NOT TO RELY TOO HEAVILY ON THE CHART TO BE REAL ACCURATE. THERE IS CONSTRUCTION GOING ON NOW W OF THE RAMP AND ALONG THE E SIDE OF RWY 23L, SO I SUSPECT THE CHART IS NOT REAL ACCURATE AS OF TODAY, EITHER. ONE OF THE THINGS WHICH 'LED ME DOWN THE PRIMROSE PATH' SO TO SPEAK AND CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON RWY 28, WHEN THE ACTIVE RWYS WERE 23L AND 23R. IN VIEW OF THE LAYOUT OF THE CLEVELAND RWYS, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE LIGHTS ONLY BE ILLUMINATED ON THE ACTIVE RWYS, TO ASSIST IN DECREASING THE CONFUSION WHICH CAN LEAD TO THIS SORT OF AN OCCURRENCE. IN ADDITION, PERHAPS IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO HAVE A NOTAM FROM CLEVELAND, ALERTING PLTS TO THIS POSSIBILITY, SUCH AS I HAVE DESCRIBED ABOVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 96453. SHORTLY BEFORE CLRNC TO TKOF, I AND THE REST OF THE FLT CREW WERE DISTRACTED BY A PROB WITH COCKPIT LIGHTING. ONCE THE PROB WAS SOLVED, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 23L.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.