An small transport pilot, taxiing for takeoff at hou, lined up on and departed from the wrong runway...

Attributes
ACN	552614
Time
Date	200207
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10400 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	552614
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was given taxi clearance by hou ground control to taxi to runway 12R via taxiway C then taxiway D hold short of runway 12L. Then cleared via taxiway D across runway 12L to runway 12R and hold short. With immediate takeoff clearance for runway 12R and traffic on short final, I taxied onto runway and commenced to take off. Whereupon instrument xchk, I realized that I was on runway 17 instead of runway 12R. I immediately called hou tower and informed them that I had initiated takeoff on runway 17 instead of runway 12R. At this point hou tower cleared me for takeoff on runway 17. Contributing factors: intersection departure from 2 intersecting runways with traffic on short final for runway 12R and trying to expedite takeoff. Not properly checking directional gyro before coming up on power.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT PLT, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT HOU, LINED UP ON AND DEPARTED FROM THE WRONG RWY.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN TAXI CLRNC BY HOU GND CTL TO TAXI TO RWY 12R VIA TXWY C THEN TXWY D HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L. THEN CLRED VIA TXWY D ACROSS RWY 12L TO RWY 12R AND HOLD SHORT. WITH IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC FOR RWY 12R AND TFC ON SHORT FINAL, I TAXIED ONTO RWY AND COMMENCED TO TAKE OFF. WHEREUPON INST XCHK, I REALIZED THAT I WAS ON RWY 17 INSTEAD OF RWY 12R. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED HOU TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD INITIATED TKOF ON RWY 17 INSTEAD OF RWY 12R. AT THIS POINT HOU TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF ON RWY 17. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INTXN DEP FROM 2 INTERSECTING RWYS WITH TFC ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 12R AND TRYING TO EXPEDITE TKOF. NOT PROPERLY CHKING DIRECTIONAL GYRO BEFORE COMING UP ON PWR.

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.