Air carrier makes illegal intersection takeoff after turn onto wrong taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	193401
Time
Date	199111
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	193401
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Taxiing for takeoff, so said we needed runway 4R for the weight, (about 174000 pounds). Crossing 4L, I heard tower say, 'cleared for takeoff on 4R, next (approaching) aircraft is landing 4L.' captain thought he heard 'turn left.' instead of taxiing on aa to end, he taxied on a to what was effectively an intersection takeoff. Had this been clear at the time I would have spoken up then. We did the takeoff, no problem. Out of 18000 ft I said that I thought we had made an illegal takeoff. He looked at chart and said that the 9300 ft did not include the displaced threshold area on each end. After much discussion I pointed out by using the scale that indeed that was included. We gave away nearly 1200 ft of runway. Climb was normal with lots of room, may not have seemed so with engine failure. On refiguring, so said we were ok for 4L, which is 8200 ft. Even so, we were illegal with no data for intersection takeoff on 4R. Captain said he'd not used full length at some other places based on this information, namely mexico city. Problem was caused by his misinterp of their command about 'left', lack of understanding about runway length, my own failure to immediately advise and recognize. Much learned, fortunately a cheap lesson. A deadheading captain asked after the flight if we knew we had made a mistake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MAKES ILLEGAL INTXN TKOF AFTER TURN ONTO WRONG TAXIWAY.

Narrative: TAXIING FOR TKOF, SO SAID WE NEEDED RWY 4R FOR THE WT, (ABOUT 174000 POUNDS). XING 4L, I HEARD TWR SAY, 'CLRED FOR TKOF ON 4R, NEXT (APCHING) ACFT IS LNDG 4L.' CAPT THOUGHT HE HEARD 'TURN L.' INSTEAD OF TAXIING ON AA TO END, HE TAXIED ON A TO WHAT WAS EFFECTIVELY AN INTXN TKOF. HAD THIS BEEN CLR AT THE TIME I WOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP THEN. WE DID THE TKOF, NO PROBLEM. OUT OF 18000 FT I SAID THAT I THOUGHT WE HAD MADE AN ILLEGAL TKOF. HE LOOKED AT CHART AND SAID THAT THE 9300 FT DID NOT INCLUDE THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AREA ON EACH END. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION I POINTED OUT BY USING THE SCALE THAT INDEED THAT WAS INCLUDED. WE GAVE AWAY NEARLY 1200 FT OF RWY. CLB WAS NORMAL WITH LOTS OF ROOM, MAY NOT HAVE SEEMED SO WITH ENG FAILURE. ON REFIGURING, SO SAID WE WERE OK FOR 4L, WHICH IS 8200 FT. EVEN SO, WE WERE ILLEGAL WITH NO DATA FOR INTXN TKOF ON 4R. CAPT SAID HE'D NOT USED FULL LENGTH AT SOME OTHER PLACES BASED ON THIS INFO, NAMELY MEXICO CITY. PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY HIS MISINTERP OF THEIR COMMAND ABOUT 'L', LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT RWY LENGTH, MY OWN FAILURE TO IMMEDIATELY ADVISE AND RECOGNIZE. MUCH LEARNED, FORTUNATELY A CHEAP LESSON. A DEADHEADING CAPT ASKED AFTER THE FLT IF WE KNEW WE HAD MADE A MISTAKE.

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.