Narrative:

After not flying in 60 days, and in preparation for a vacation in florida, I decided to perform the required night lndgs and PIC in type time, and fly 2 ILS approachs. I left ptk and flew directly to fnt, a class C, 7 mins to the northwest. Ceiling was 2900 ft AGL, 10 mi visibility. All this occurred after 'legal' sunset. Fnt is a class C area. I made appropriate contact and was vectored to the ILS runway 9 initially, then reassigned to the ILS runway 27. It is important to note that commercial traffic was landing on runway 9, while the tower had me flying ILS approachs to the opposite end of the same runway, which I found quite disturbing. First approach, with full stop and taxi back, was uneventful. On the second, I was vectored past the GS, and successfully recaptured the approach. I did note the approach controller's apparent lack of attention at that time. After the 2ND full stop, fnt tower advised 'there's a B717 on final on runway 9, and you need to expedite.' you may want to refer to an airport diagram to understand what happened next. I was traveling eastbound, approximately at the intersection of taxiway C and runway 18/36. It was completely dark and I try to keep the cockpit lowly lit to enhance night vision. Fnk tower cleared me for immediate takeoff 'from the intersection of runway 18 and taxiway C.' I thought they cleared me for takeoff from the intersection on runway 27 and runway 18, which I had done many times in the past! I am sure I repeated back 'cleared for intersection takeoff on runway 27!' after turning on the runway I saw the landing lights on the B717 quite a ways off. I do not feel we ever came within 3-4 mi of each other. However, I was a little hesitant. At rotation, which was a good 30 seconds after clearance, fnt tower advised me to 'turn left as soon as possible' and cancelled the B717 clearance. Ok, so what correctable errors were made? Yes, I should have 'heard' the revised departure runway. But the tower should have made sure I understood the change, and then watched my actions. This was an absolutely different clearance from all previous instructions, and I am sure I repeated the clearance as runway 27. Nobody had taken off from runway 18 the entire time I was in the 'pattern.' in many yrs of flying to flint, I have used runway 18 maybe 3 times. I feel the tower personnel were playing 'runway roulette,' with possible serious consequences. I guess I am so used to the boring regularity of always departing from the windward runway, that, in this one night of calm winds, I failed to comprehend the whims of the tower. In 14 yrs and 2300 hours I have never messed up a takeoff clearance that badly. But as is usually the case, it is never one thing that causes an accident. This is a classic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION WITH A TKOF INTO ARR TFC BY AN AEROSTAR PVT PLT DURING A NIGHT OP AT FNT, MI.

Narrative: AFTER NOT FLYING IN 60 DAYS, AND IN PREPARATION FOR A VACATION IN FLORIDA, I DECIDED TO PERFORM THE REQUIRED NIGHT LNDGS AND PIC IN TYPE TIME, AND FLY 2 ILS APCHS. I LEFT PTK AND FLEW DIRECTLY TO FNT, A CLASS C, 7 MINS TO THE NW. CEILING WAS 2900 FT AGL, 10 MI VISIBILITY. ALL THIS OCCURRED AFTER 'LEGAL' SUNSET. FNT IS A CLASS C AREA. I MADE APPROPRIATE CONTACT AND WAS VECTORED TO THE ILS RWY 9 INITIALLY, THEN REASSIGNED TO THE ILS RWY 27. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT COMMERCIAL TFC WAS LNDG ON RWY 9, WHILE THE TWR HAD ME FLYING ILS APCHS TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SAME RWY, WHICH I FOUND QUITE DISTURBING. FIRST APCH, WITH FULL STOP AND TAXI BACK, WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON THE SECOND, I WAS VECTORED PAST THE GS, AND SUCCESSFULLY RECAPTURED THE APCH. I DID NOTE THE APCH CTLR'S APPARENT LACK OF ATTN AT THAT TIME. AFTER THE 2ND FULL STOP, FNT TWR ADVISED 'THERE'S A B717 ON FINAL ON RWY 9, AND YOU NEED TO EXPEDITE.' YOU MAY WANT TO REFER TO AN ARPT DIAGRAM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. I WAS TRAVELING EBOUND, APPROX AT THE INTXN OF TXWY C AND RWY 18/36. IT WAS COMPLETELY DARK AND I TRY TO KEEP THE COCKPIT LOWLY LIT TO ENHANCE NIGHT VISION. FNK TWR CLRED ME FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF 'FROM THE INTXN OF RWY 18 AND TXWY C.' I THOUGHT THEY CLRED ME FOR TKOF FROM THE INTXN ON RWY 27 AND RWY 18, WHICH I HAD DONE MANY TIMES IN THE PAST! I AM SURE I REPEATED BACK 'CLRED FOR INTXN TKOF ON RWY 27!' AFTER TURNING ON THE RWY I SAW THE LNDG LIGHTS ON THE B717 QUITE A WAYS OFF. I DO NOT FEEL WE EVER CAME WITHIN 3-4 MI OF EACH OTHER. HOWEVER, I WAS A LITTLE HESITANT. AT ROTATION, WHICH WAS A GOOD 30 SECONDS AFTER CLRNC, FNT TWR ADVISED ME TO 'TURN L AS SOON AS POSSIBLE' AND CANCELLED THE B717 CLRNC. OK, SO WHAT CORRECTABLE ERRORS WERE MADE? YES, I SHOULD HAVE 'HEARD' THE REVISED DEP RWY. BUT THE TWR SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THE CHANGE, AND THEN WATCHED MY ACTIONS. THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTELY DIFFERENT CLRNC FROM ALL PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS, AND I AM SURE I REPEATED THE CLRNC AS RWY 27. NOBODY HAD TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 18 THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS IN THE 'PATTERN.' IN MANY YRS OF FLYING TO FLINT, I HAVE USED RWY 18 MAYBE 3 TIMES. I FEEL THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE PLAYING 'RWY ROULETTE,' WITH POSSIBLE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. I GUESS I AM SO USED TO THE BORING REGULARITY OF ALWAYS DEPARTING FROM THE WINDWARD RWY, THAT, IN THIS ONE NIGHT OF CALM WINDS, I FAILED TO COMPREHEND THE WHIMS OF THE TWR. IN 14 YRS AND 2300 HRS I HAVE NEVER MESSED UP A TKOF CLRNC THAT BADLY. BUT AS IS USUALLY THE CASE, IT IS NEVER ONE THING THAT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A CLASSIC.

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.