SINGLE PLT TOOK OFF ON WRONG RWY.

Date: 2000-11 · Aircraft: Bonanza 33

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|ground-incursion-runway|other-tkof-on-wrong-rwy

Synopsis

SINGLE PLT TOOK OFF ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative

PLT (RPTR) WAS ONLY PERSON IN ACFT AND HAD NEVER BEEN TO THIS ARPT BEFORE. ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 29 AT INTXN A. TXWYS A AND D INTERSECT AT SE CORNER OF RAMP VERY CLOSE TO INTXN OF RWYS 24 AND 29. THESE INTXNS ARE LOCATED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE RWY ENDS; SO THE PAINTED RWY DESIGNATORS ARE NOT VISIBLE. THIS IS VERY CONFUSING TO SOMEONE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. AFTER RUN-UP; PLT CALLED TWR TO REQUEST TKOF CLRNC AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 29. PLT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO RWY 24 BELIEVING IT WAS RWY 29 AND CONTINUED WITH A NORMAL TKOF. AS ACFT WAS CLBING OUT; TWR INFORMED PLT OF THE ERROR. PLT APOLOGIZED; NOTING THAT HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY: 1) PLT COULD HAVE ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; AS HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. 2) PLT COULD HAVE ASKED TWR TO VERIFY THAT ACFT WAS HOLDING AT CORRECT LOCATION. 3) BECAUSE OF HIS COMMENT TO THE PLT; IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT TWR CTLR SAW ACFT TAKING WRONG RWY. HE COULD HAVE; AND SHOULD HAVE; ALERTED HIM BEFORE THE TKOF ROLL. (THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR THE PLT'S ERROR; HOWEVER.)

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.