Narrative:

I was initially concerned about the winds and the gust factor as I taxied out for my runup on the taxiway since my plane was very light with no survival equipment and about 1/4 fuel in the mains only. I usually do not operate that light but I was shuttling it over to nearby merrill field for its annual inspection. The maule M-6 with extended wingtips is noted to be difficult to handle in a crosswind on hard paved runways. I turned the plane into the wind (which was more easterly than what was officially reported by ATIS) for the engine runup. Well before the engine reached 2000 rpms a wind gust lifted the tail (conventional gear plane) well off the ground (thus pointing the plane's nose down) and cause the plan to advance even though I was holding the brakes. I was initially concerned the propeller might contact the pavement and reduced power immediately. The plane came to a stop and tailwheel settled to the ground. This event heightened by concern about being light and the winds. When I told the tower I was ready and I was eastbound, I was cleared for runway 24L from intersection foxtrot. I taxied out onto the runway well to its north edge and turned into the wind (reported as 9 mph gusting to 15 mph out of 150 degree but more easterly at that part of the airfield). I was facing southeast and towards a sign with runway 24L on it (in hindsight it was a taxiway intersection sign). I advance power and took off in a cross angle to the runway towards the wind (cross head wind) and inadvertently on runway 6R. I was overly focused on controling the plane and on the direction of the winds and gusts. The plane was off the ground in about 200 ft or less and my climb rate was well over 1000 FPM. I noticed a beech 1900 taxing toward the east end of the runway (6R) as I cleared that area at about 700 ft and climbing. After I was well out of the immediate airport area the tower called and informed me that I had taken off on the wrong runway. I then realized I had taken off in the wrong direction. I realized I had allowed my concern for handling the plane in the wind to overcome what I was told to do. Other contributing facts would be that 98 percent of my takeoff's from that part of the airport are to the east since I frequently fly southeast to my land and cabin in that direction. Another factor would be that I wasn't prepared mentally that the tower would have me takeoff with a cross tail wind (the wind gust were more out of the east) with no apparent traffic around. In hindsight I could assume the tower wanted me to take the cross tail wind gusts so as to expedite the coming departure of the beech 19 that was taxing for runway 24L but was still far off on the taxiway. Another minor factor is that almost all of my flying for the past 5 yrs has been either on floats or wheel skis in off airport areas where one must look for visual signs of wind direction and head into them. At the very large international airport I have noticed differences between what is officially reported as wind speed and direction and the area I operate from.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH WRONG RWY TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS INITIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WINDS AND THE GUST FACTOR AS I TAXIED OUT FOR MY RUNUP ON THE TXWY SINCE MY PLANE WAS VERY LIGHT WITH NO SURVIVAL EQUIP AND ABOUT 1/4 FUEL IN THE MAINS ONLY. I USUALLY DO NOT OPERATE THAT LIGHT BUT I WAS SHUTTLING IT OVER TO NEARBY MERRILL FIELD FOR ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE MAULE M-6 WITH EXTENDED WINGTIPS IS NOTED TO BE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE IN A XWIND ON HARD PAVED RWYS. I TURNED THE PLANE INTO THE WIND (WHICH WAS MORE EASTERLY THAN WHAT WAS OFFICIALLY RPTED BY ATIS) FOR THE ENG RUNUP. WELL BEFORE THE ENG REACHED 2000 RPMS A WIND GUST LIFTED THE TAIL (CONVENTIONAL GEAR PLANE) WELL OFF THE GND (THUS POINTING THE PLANE'S NOSE DOWN) AND CAUSE THE PLAN TO ADVANCE EVEN THOUGH I WAS HOLDING THE BRAKES. I WAS INITIALLY CONCERNED THE PROP MIGHT CONTACT THE PAVEMENT AND REDUCED PWR IMMEDIATELY. THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP AND TAILWHEEL SETTLED TO THE GND. THIS EVENT HEIGHTENED BY CONCERN ABOUT BEING LIGHT AND THE WINDS. WHEN I TOLD THE TWR I WAS READY AND I WAS EBOUND, I WAS CLRED FOR RWY 24L FROM INTXN FOXTROT. I TAXIED OUT ONTO THE RWY WELL TO ITS N EDGE AND TURNED INTO THE WIND (RPTED AS 9 MPH GUSTING TO 15 MPH OUT OF 150 DEG BUT MORE EASTERLY AT THAT PART OF THE AIRFIELD). I WAS FACING SE AND TOWARDS A SIGN WITH RWY 24L ON IT (IN HINDSIGHT IT WAS A TXWY INTXN SIGN). I ADVANCE PWR AND TOOK OFF IN A CROSS ANGLE TO THE RWY TOWARDS THE WIND (CROSS HEAD WIND) AND INADVERTENTLY ON RWY 6R. I WAS OVERLY FOCUSED ON CTLING THE PLANE AND ON THE DIRECTION OF THE WINDS AND GUSTS. THE PLANE WAS OFF THE GND IN ABOUT 200 FT OR LESS AND MY CLB RATE WAS WELL OVER 1000 FPM. I NOTICED A BEECH 1900 TAXING TOWARD THE E END OF THE RWY (6R) AS I CLRED THAT AREA AT ABOUT 700 FT AND CLBING. AFTER I WAS WELL OUT OF THE IMMEDIATE ARPT AREA THE TWR CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE WRONG RWY. I THEN REALIZED I HAD TAKEN OFF IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. I REALIZED I HAD ALLOWED MY CONCERN FOR HANDLING THE PLANE IN THE WIND TO OVERCOME WHAT I WAS TOLD TO DO. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTS WOULD BE THAT 98 PERCENT OF MY TKOF'S FROM THAT PART OF THE ARPT ARE TO THE E SINCE I FREQUENTLY FLY SE TO MY LAND AND CABIN IN THAT DIRECTION. ANOTHER FACTOR WOULD BE THAT I WASN'T PREPARED MENTALLY THAT THE TWR WOULD HAVE ME TKOF WITH A CROSS TAIL WIND (THE WIND GUST WERE MORE OUT OF THE E) WITH NO APPARENT TFC AROUND. IN HINDSIGHT I COULD ASSUME THE TWR WANTED ME TO TAKE THE CROSS TAIL WIND GUSTS SO AS TO EXPEDITE THE COMING DEP OF THE BEECH 19 THAT WAS TAXING FOR RWY 24L BUT WAS STILL FAR OFF ON THE TXWY. ANOTHER MINOR FACTOR IS THAT ALMOST ALL OF MY FLYING FOR THE PAST 5 YRS HAS BEEN EITHER ON FLOATS OR WHEEL SKIS IN OFF ARPT AREAS WHERE ONE MUST LOOK FOR VISUAL SIGNS OF WIND DIRECTION AND HEAD INTO THEM. AT THE VERY LARGE INTL ARPT I HAVE NOTICED DIFFERENCES BTWN WHAT IS OFFICIALLY RPTED AS WIND SPD AND DIRECTION AND THE AREA I OPERATE FROM.

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.