Narrative:

Departed runway 17 instead of runway 35. I had a combined navigation/communication/GPS installed and it was ready for pickup, so they said. I had landed runway 26L on way in for pickup. Departed runway 17 for first test flight with a local avionics technician on board. Problems: immediately returned to runway 26R. Radio technician person was very green and was asking me (greener still) how to work radio for second departure. I had asked for progressive taxi instructions from ground because of workload in checking operation of radio. Came to stop behind cessna waiting on taxiway a, holding short of runway 35/17, still playing with radios. He took off, I assumed runway 17, but he continued 180 degrees to runway 26L departure. I wasn't monitoring tower at that time and hadn't noticed the 180 degrees. I then moved up and contacted tower, they cleared me for takeoff. I turned right on runway 17 instead of runway 35, took off making sure that runway 26L was clear. I discovered error when tower called and said make immediate right to 350 degree heading. Contributing factors: not paying total attention to environment, was helping technician do all his checks, I hadn't made a lot of intersection departures, saw cessna turn right earlier and just did same as him. Maybe if tower had said 'turn left for runway 35 departure' instead of just 'cleared for takeoff' I would not have made this error in following cessna. I learned that I should be in control of airplane and environment surrounding it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY TKOF BY A PA24 PVT PLT AT GRR, MI.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 17 INSTEAD OF RWY 35. I HAD A COMBINED NAV/COM/GPS INSTALLED AND IT WAS READY FOR PICKUP, SO THEY SAID. I HAD LANDED RWY 26L ON WAY IN FOR PICKUP. DEPARTED RWY 17 FOR FIRST TEST FLT WITH A LCL AVIONICS TECHNICIAN ON BOARD. PROBS: IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO RWY 26R. RADIO TECHNICIAN PERSON WAS VERY GREEN AND WAS ASKING ME (GREENER STILL) HOW TO WORK RADIO FOR SECOND DEP. I HAD ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND BECAUSE OF WORKLOAD IN CHKING OP OF RADIO. CAME TO STOP BEHIND CESSNA WAITING ON TXWY A, HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 35/17, STILL PLAYING WITH RADIOS. HE TOOK OFF, I ASSUMED RWY 17, BUT HE CONTINUED 180 DEGS TO RWY 26L DEP. I WASN'T MONITORING TWR AT THAT TIME AND HADN'T NOTICED THE 180 DEGS. I THEN MOVED UP AND CONTACTED TWR, THEY CLRED ME FOR TKOF. I TURNED R ON RWY 17 INSTEAD OF RWY 35, TOOK OFF MAKING SURE THAT RWY 26L WAS CLR. I DISCOVERED ERROR WHEN TWR CALLED AND SAID MAKE IMMEDIATE R TO 350 DEG HDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NOT PAYING TOTAL ATTN TO ENVIRONMENT, WAS HELPING TECHNICIAN DO ALL HIS CHKS, I HADN'T MADE A LOT OF INTXN DEPS, SAW CESSNA TURN R EARLIER AND JUST DID SAME AS HIM. MAYBE IF TWR HAD SAID 'TURN L FOR RWY 35 DEP' INSTEAD OF JUST 'CLRED FOR TKOF' I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THIS ERROR IN FOLLOWING CESSNA. I LEARNED THAT I SHOULD BE IN CTL OF AIRPLANE AND ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING IT.

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.