Narrative:

It was a beautiful, blue sky, clear autumn morning with visibility unrestr, and the morning tv WX forecasting same for the whole day. The flight from burlington, ia, to moline, il, is about a 20 min flight. Because the WX was good, I did not call FSS for a briefing or check NOTAMS. On taxiing from my hangar, before entering taxiway, I called unicom requesting a pilot advisory, with no response. Before entering taxiway I received ASOS on 118.02. I again notified unicom of my intentions taxiing to depart runway 30. Before run-up at end of runway 30 I again announced my intention on unicom. No response. Taxiing onto runway 30 before departure I announced 'on the roll.' I departed runway 30, with winds at 29 degrees and 17 KTS. With no other traffic reporting, or in sight, a clear runway with no reports from traffic or unicom. When I arrived at moline, il, I learned from the FAA/FSDO office in des moines that I had departed a 'closed' runway 30 in burlington, ia. Someone had reported same. Upon further inquiry, the 'X' runway markers were not on the runway. They were aside in the grass off the runway. Naturally, they could not be seen as I began my takeoff roll.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL UNKNOWINGLY TOOK OFF FROM A CLOSED RWY AT A NON TWR ARPT UNICOM. RWY X WAS OFF RWY IN GRASS AND NOT OBSERVED. PLT DID NOT CHK WITH FSS FOR ANY NOTAMS SINCE IT WAS A CLR DAY AND HE WAS DEPARTING HIS HOME BASE ARPT.

Narrative: IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, BLUE SKY, CLR AUTUMN MORNING WITH VISIBILITY UNRESTR, AND THE MORNING TV WX FORECASTING SAME FOR THE WHOLE DAY. THE FLT FROM BURLINGTON, IA, TO MOLINE, IL, IS ABOUT A 20 MIN FLT. BECAUSE THE WX WAS GOOD, I DID NOT CALL FSS FOR A BRIEFING OR CHK NOTAMS. ON TAXIING FROM MY HANGAR, BEFORE ENTERING TXWY, I CALLED UNICOM REQUESTING A PLT ADVISORY, WITH NO RESPONSE. BEFORE ENTERING TXWY I RECEIVED ASOS ON 118.02. I AGAIN NOTIFIED UNICOM OF MY INTENTIONS TAXIING TO DEPART RWY 30. BEFORE RUN-UP AT END OF RWY 30 I AGAIN ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION ON UNICOM. NO RESPONSE. TAXIING ONTO RWY 30 BEFORE DEP I ANNOUNCED 'ON THE ROLL.' I DEPARTED RWY 30, WITH WINDS AT 29 DEGS AND 17 KTS. WITH NO OTHER TFC RPTING, OR IN SIGHT, A CLR RWY WITH NO RPTS FROM TFC OR UNICOM. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MOLINE, IL, I LEARNED FROM THE FAA/FSDO OFFICE IN DES MOINES THAT I HAD DEPARTED A 'CLOSED' RWY 30 IN BURLINGTON, IA. SOMEONE HAD RPTED SAME. UPON FURTHER INQUIRY, THE 'X' RWY MARKERS WERE NOT ON THE RWY. THEY WERE ASIDE IN THE GRASS OFF THE RWY. NATURALLY, THEY COULD NOT BE SEEN AS I BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL.

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.