Narrative:

Rno ground control cleared us to taxi to runway 16R. While taxiing north on taxiway B the tower cleared us for takeoff just prior to taxiway D. Taxiway D intersects runway 16R at the displaced threshold marking. I mistakenly assumed this was the departure end of runway 16R and began the takeoff roll. During the takeoff roll the tower asked if we had intended to depart from intersection D. The first officer replied 'yes.' shortly after takeoff I realized the mistake I had made. I called back to the tower and asked if we needed clearance to depart from intersection D. The tower replied 'yes you needed to communicate that if you wanted to depart from intersection D.' I replied that we were sorry and apologized for not communicating. The tower replied that 'it's a team effort, there were no other aircraft that could have caused a conflict and not to worry.' after landing I called the rno tower on the phone to apologize again. The supervisor replied that 'it was not a big deal, we just expected you to go to the end of the runway, since you were cleared for takeoff you 'owned' the runway. There were no other aircraft in the area so there is no problem.' I believe this mistake was caused by ground features. First, I normally taxi out on taxiway a, but for some reason I used taxiway B, so I was somewhat unfamiliar with this route. Second, we were the only aircraft on frequency so it was very quiet. Third, the tower cleared us for takeoff way early just prior to taxiway D. Runway 16R at intersection D is the displaced threshold and looks like a departure end with an overrun. The runway and lights even are mounted in the pavement here to further create the illusion of a runway end. Fourth, taxiway B north of D looks narrow and unmaintained so I was hesitant to continue past D. The distance from D to the departure end is only approximately 1000 ft. Unfortunately, I continued to taxi and take off even though I was not 100% sure what I was doing was correct, but I talked myself into believing I was correct, and did not ask for confirmation because everything seemed right. In the future, I will question when I am not 100% sure that what I am doing is exactly correct. Supplemental information from acn 485574: I was xchking our taxi route while completing the checklist. I could see that taxiway B continued straight ahead and that markings denoting the displaced threshold for runway 16R began there at intersection D. (Turning there at intersection D didn't seem quite right, but I couldn't quite decide why.) I failed to communicate this minor sense of unease to the captain. As we started our takeoff roll, tower asked us if we were aware that we were taking off from intersection D and asked if that was what we wanted to do. I failed to speak up because I wasn't exactly sure what we were doing wrong. In the future, I will speak up when I'm not sure if what we are doing is exactly right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC PERFORMS AN UNAUTH INTXN TKOF AT RNO, NV.

Narrative: RNO GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 16R. WHILE TAXIING N ON TXWY B THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF JUST PRIOR TO TXWY D. TXWY D INTERSECTS RWY 16R AT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKING. I MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THIS WAS THE DEP END OF RWY 16R AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. DURING THE TKOF ROLL THE TWR ASKED IF WE HAD INTENDED TO DEPART FROM INTXN D. THE FO REPLIED 'YES.' SHORTLY AFTER TKOF I REALIZED THE MISTAKE I HAD MADE. I CALLED BACK TO THE TWR AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED CLRNC TO DEPART FROM INTXN D. THE TWR REPLIED 'YES YOU NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE THAT IF YOU WANTED TO DEPART FROM INTXN D.' I REPLIED THAT WE WERE SORRY AND APOLOGIZED FOR NOT COMMUNICATING. THE TWR REPLIED THAT 'IT'S A TEAM EFFORT, THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A CONFLICT AND NOT TO WORRY.' AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE RNO TWR ON THE PHONE TO APOLOGIZE AGAIN. THE SUPVR REPLIED THAT 'IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL, WE JUST EXPECTED YOU TO GO TO THE END OF THE RWY, SINCE YOU WERE CLRED FOR TKOF YOU 'OWNED' THE RWY. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA SO THERE IS NO PROB.' I BELIEVE THIS MISTAKE WAS CAUSED BY GND FEATURES. FIRST, I NORMALLY TAXI OUT ON TXWY A, BUT FOR SOME REASON I USED TXWY B, SO I WAS SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS RTE. SECOND, WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT ON FREQ SO IT WAS VERY QUIET. THIRD, THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF WAY EARLY JUST PRIOR TO TXWY D. RWY 16R AT INTXN D IS THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AND LOOKS LIKE A DEP END WITH AN OVERRUN. THE RWY AND LIGHTS EVEN ARE MOUNTED IN THE PAVEMENT HERE TO FURTHER CREATE THE ILLUSION OF A RWY END. FOURTH, TXWY B N OF D LOOKS NARROW AND UNMAINTAINED SO I WAS HESITANT TO CONTINUE PAST D. THE DISTANCE FROM D TO THE DEP END IS ONLY APPROX 1000 FT. UNFORTUNATELY, I CONTINUED TO TAXI AND TAKE OFF EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT 100% SURE WHAT I WAS DOING WAS CORRECT, BUT I TALKED MYSELF INTO BELIEVING I WAS CORRECT, AND DID NOT ASK FOR CONFIRMATION BECAUSE EVERYTHING SEEMED RIGHT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL QUESTION WHEN I AM NOT 100% SURE THAT WHAT I AM DOING IS EXACTLY CORRECT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 485574: I WAS XCHKING OUR TAXI RTE WHILE COMPLETING THE CHKLIST. I COULD SEE THAT TXWY B CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND THAT MARKINGS DENOTING THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD FOR RWY 16R BEGAN THERE AT INTXN D. (TURNING THERE AT INTXN D DIDN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT, BUT I COULDN'T QUITE DECIDE WHY.) I FAILED TO COMMUNICATE THIS MINOR SENSE OF UNEASE TO THE CAPT. AS WE STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL, TWR ASKED US IF WE WERE AWARE THAT WE WERE TAKING OFF FROM INTXN D AND ASKED IF THAT WAS WHAT WE WANTED TO DO. I FAILED TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WASN'T EXACTLY SURE WHAT WE WERE DOING WRONG. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL SPEAK UP WHEN I'M NOT SURE IF WHAT WE ARE DOING IS EXACTLY RIGHT.

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.