Pilot of a Mooney 201 is cleared to runway 30 to hold for release, begins takeoff roll, and is told to stop immediately due to another aircraft on approach for an intersecting runway.

Narrative

Rewritten in plain English from NASA’s original all-caps telegraphic report — facts, figures, and terminology preserved.

At approximately XX00Z, we prepared to depart on an IFR flight plan. Due to strong northwest surface winds, we were offered the use of runway 30, while larger planes were using intersecting runway 5. My wife, a 'lapsed' former IFR-rated pilot (circa 1000 hours), was working the radios for us, as she and I had done alternately during many previous flights together.

I thought I had heard the tower controller say 'cleared for release runway 30,' when he had actually said (as he explained later) that I was to 'take runway 30 and hold for release.' As I started the takeoff, the controller correctly ordered me to stop 'immediately,' which I was able to do before getting to the intersection with runway 5.

At that time, I was able to see over the trees and saw a twin engine plane on approach to landing on runway 5. The tower controller ordered me to do a 180 degree turn to go back to the beginning of our runway 30. After another 180 degree turn (and the other plane had landed), he released us for takeoff on MMU4 departure, runway 30.

I was truly in anguish at having caused the 'close call' which would have been a catastrophe for the other plane's occupants as well as ourselves. As we lifted off, I apologized to the quick-thinking controller, who saved all of us. We all read about misunderstood instructions which lead to catastrophes and think it can't happen to us. Obviously, it can and almost did, and my wife and I are thankful for the controller's quick reactions.

My wife's injuries from a fall 2 days before, multiple x-rays and airplane boarding difficulties, contributed to our perception problems in radio communications.