MD88 crew takeoff on the wrong runway at hou.

Attributes
ACN	415992
Time
Date	199810
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hou airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 167 flight time total : 5447 flight time type : 1045
ASRS Report	415992
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3000
ASRS Report	416170
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Our aircraft was cleared to taxi to runway 12R from our ramp position. Both first officer and I had our 10-9 charts out for clarification of taxi route. As our aircraft approached taxiway east, we were given clearance for takeoff runway 12R before takeoff checklist was completed and we both commented on a sign depicting runway 17/12 ahead. Alignment and power runup was made on runway. Takeoff was made on runway 17 vice runway 12R. A backup check of 'heading' could have prevented this occurrence. This is now part of my verbal check! Also, tower should hold takeoff clearance until past runway 17. This is a real gotcha scenario.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 CREW TKOF ON THE WRONG RWY AT HOU.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 12R FROM OUR RAMP POS. BOTH FO AND I HAD OUR 10-9 CHARTS OUT FOR CLARIFICATION OF TAXI RTE. AS OUR ACFT APCHED TXWY E, WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC FOR TKOF RWY 12R BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AND WE BOTH COMMENTED ON A SIGN DEPICTING RWY 17/12 AHEAD. ALIGNMENT AND PWR RUNUP WAS MADE ON RWY. TKOF WAS MADE ON RWY 17 VICE RWY 12R. A BACKUP CHK OF 'HDG' COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. THIS IS NOW PART OF MY VERBAL CHK! ALSO, TWR SHOULD HOLD TKOF CLRNC UNTIL PAST RWY 17. THIS IS A REAL GOTCHA SCENARIO.

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.