Narrative:

On apr/xa/01, I was conducting a VFR cross country from my home base of downtown parks airport in st louis to sbn to evv and back to parks. While I was approaching, evv approach told me to expect runway 36. I was set up for a downwind for runway 36. When I was passed to evv tower, the controller initially cleared me for landing on runway 4. I advised that I was set up for runway 36, so he cleared me to land on runway 36. I landed, taxied to the FBO and refueled. I obtained a VFR clearance and was told to taxi behind another aircraft to runway 4. While I was doing my engine run-up check, the aircraft in front of me was cleared for takeoff on runway 4. I had my head down and did not pay attention to where he had taken off. I was cleared for takeoff on runway 4. I crossed the hold short line and turned left. I was on runway 4, but I was confused by my surroundings. I continued turning left thinking I had not reached the runway. I turned about 40 degrees and lined myself up for what I thought was runway 4, but was actually runway 36. Things looked familiar here and I remembered that I had been cleared to land on runway 4 when approaching. I forgot that I had actually landed on runway 36 and that was the reason my surroundings had looked familiar, I proceeded to take off on runway 36 thinking it was runway 4. At about 200 ft AGL, I looked to my right and saw the markings for runway 22. This was when I realized I had taken off the wrong runway. A few seconds later the tower controller called me over the radio and said 'aircraft X, you were cleared for runway 4 and you departed runway 36. Were you aware of this?' I replied that I had just realized what I had done. He asked me what my destination was and where my home base was located. I told him that I was headed to st louis downtown airport which was also my home base. I received no further contact from him in the air or back on the ground at downtown parks. I was handed off to evv departure and finished the flight. This was due to the fact that I was offered 2 different runways and was too busy to think clearly when I got disoriented before takeoff. In the future, I plan to be more aware of where I am at all times and to also have an airport diagram on hand. This should prevent an incident like this from happening to me again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED AND TAKE OFF ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative: ON APR/XA/01, I WAS CONDUCTING A VFR XCOUNTRY FROM MY HOME BASE OF DOWNTOWN PARKS ARPT IN ST LOUIS TO SBN TO EVV AND BACK TO PARKS. WHILE I WAS APCHING, EVV APCH TOLD ME TO EXPECT RWY 36. I WAS SET UP FOR A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36. WHEN I WAS PASSED TO EVV TWR, THE CTLR INITIALLY CLRED ME FOR LNDG ON RWY 4. I ADVISED THAT I WAS SET UP FOR RWY 36, SO HE CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 36. I LANDED, TAXIED TO THE FBO AND REFUELED. I OBTAINED A VFR CLRNC AND WAS TOLD TO TAXI BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT TO RWY 4. WHILE I WAS DOING MY ENG RUN-UP CHK, THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 4. I HAD MY HEAD DOWN AND DID NOT PAY ATTN TO WHERE HE HAD TAKEN OFF. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 4. I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND TURNED L. I WAS ON RWY 4, BUT I WAS CONFUSED BY MY SURROUNDINGS. I CONTINUED TURNING L THINKING I HAD NOT REACHED THE RWY. I TURNED ABOUT 40 DEGS AND LINED MYSELF UP FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 4, BUT WAS ACTUALLY RWY 36. THINGS LOOKED FAMILIAR HERE AND I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 4 WHEN APCHING. I FORGOT THAT I HAD ACTUALLY LANDED ON RWY 36 AND THAT WAS THE REASON MY SURROUNDINGS HAD LOOKED FAMILIAR, I PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 36 THINKING IT WAS RWY 4. AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL, I LOOKED TO MY R AND SAW THE MARKINGS FOR RWY 22. THIS WAS WHEN I REALIZED I HAD TAKEN OFF THE WRONG RWY. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE TWR CTLR CALLED ME OVER THE RADIO AND SAID 'ACFT X, YOU WERE CLRED FOR RWY 4 AND YOU DEPARTED RWY 36. WERE YOU AWARE OF THIS?' I REPLIED THAT I HAD JUST REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE. HE ASKED ME WHAT MY DEST WAS AND WHERE MY HOME BASE WAS LOCATED. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS HEADED TO ST LOUIS DOWNTOWN ARPT WHICH WAS ALSO MY HOME BASE. I RECEIVED NO FURTHER CONTACT FROM HIM IN THE AIR OR BACK ON THE GND AT DOWNTOWN PARKS. I WAS HANDED OFF TO EVV DEP AND FINISHED THE FLT. THIS WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS OFFERED 2 DIFFERENT RWYS AND WAS TOO BUSY TO THINK CLRLY WHEN I GOT DISORIENTED BEFORE TKOF. IN THE FUTURE, I PLAN TO BE MORE AWARE OF WHERE I AM AT ALL TIMES AND TO ALSO HAVE AN ARPT DIAGRAM ON HAND. THIS SHOULD PREVENT AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ME AGAIN.

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.