Narrative:

I flew into rfd (landing on runway 1) to drop someone off and, immediately turned around and called the tower to say I was departing again. I was expecting runway 1 and began my taxiing toward the end of the ramp. The tower gave me taxi instructions, which I read back, however, as I was taxiing (still mentally fixed on runway 1), I realized that, although I parroted back the taxi instructions, I didn't really listen to them. (The instructions, I now believe were to taxi to runway 25 at taxiway a, 7700 ft available.) just then, as I approached taxiway a (which was on the way to runway 1 from the ramp), I asked the tower to say again my taxi instructions. I asked because I was approaching runway 25 and didn't remember any crossing clrncs in my taxi instructions (still fixating, for some reason, on runway 1). The controller said to stop right there and hold short (of runway 25, which I did). I was confused because I thought I was going to runway 1 and the controller had not confirmed my taxi instructions. I was still not sure of my taxi instructions, however, at the time, I thought I would still be continuing onto runway 1. The controller then said cleared to depart runway 25 at taxiway a. I was still mentally sorting out my confusion, looked at the 25 on the runway 25-7 sign, looked at the windsock (instinct because I had been flying out of many uncontrolled airfields the past several weeks), saw it looked like a direct crosswind for 25-7 (coming from my back), and that a left turn onto the runway was aligned with my landing on runway 1, proceeded to turn left onto runway 7 and departed (I don't know, maybe I also looked at the runway 25 on the left side of the 25-7 runway sign and subconsciously worked that into my thinking). Once airborne, the controller informed me I took off from the wrong runway. This happened on the part 91 leg of a part 135 day and is the second time I've noticed I 'let my guard down' on the part 91 leg. This incident has reinforced my efforts to 'get back to the basics.' the same basics I learned as a private pilot and the same basics that should apply no matter who you are, what your level of ratings or experience or the immediacy of the mission.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 PLT MAKES AN INTXN TKOF ON RWY 7 AFTER BEING CLRED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 25.

Narrative: I FLEW INTO RFD (LNDG ON RWY 1) TO DROP SOMEONE OFF AND, IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND CALLED THE TWR TO SAY I WAS DEPARTING AGAIN. I WAS EXPECTING RWY 1 AND BEGAN MY TAXIING TOWARD THE END OF THE RAMP. THE TWR GAVE ME TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH I READ BACK, HOWEVER, AS I WAS TAXIING (STILL MENTALLY FIXED ON RWY 1), I REALIZED THAT, ALTHOUGH I PARROTED BACK THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, I DIDN'T REALLY LISTEN TO THEM. (THE INSTRUCTIONS, I NOW BELIEVE WERE TO TAXI TO RWY 25 AT TXWY A, 7700 FT AVAILABLE.) JUST THEN, AS I APCHED TXWY A (WHICH WAS ON THE WAY TO RWY 1 FROM THE RAMP), I ASKED THE TWR TO SAY AGAIN MY TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I ASKED BECAUSE I WAS APCHING RWY 25 AND DIDN'T REMEMBER ANY XING CLRNCS IN MY TAXI INSTRUCTIONS (STILL FIXATING, FOR SOME REASON, ON RWY 1). THE CTLR SAID TO STOP RIGHT THERE AND HOLD SHORT (OF RWY 25, WHICH I DID). I WAS CONFUSED BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO RWY 1 AND THE CTLR HAD NOT CONFIRMED MY TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS STILL NOT SURE OF MY TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, HOWEVER, AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT I WOULD STILL BE CONTINUING ONTO RWY 1. THE CTLR THEN SAID CLRED TO DEPART RWY 25 AT TXWY A. I WAS STILL MENTALLY SORTING OUT MY CONFUSION, LOOKED AT THE 25 ON THE RWY 25-7 SIGN, LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK (INSTINCT BECAUSE I HAD BEEN FLYING OUT OF MANY UNCTLED AIRFIELDS THE PAST SEVERAL WKS), SAW IT LOOKED LIKE A DIRECT XWIND FOR 25-7 (COMING FROM MY BACK), AND THAT A L TURN ONTO THE RWY WAS ALIGNED WITH MY LNDG ON RWY 1, PROCEEDED TO TURN L ONTO RWY 7 AND DEPARTED (I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I ALSO LOOKED AT THE RWY 25 ON THE L SIDE OF THE 25-7 RWY SIGN AND SUBCONSCIOUSLY WORKED THAT INTO MY THINKING). ONCE AIRBORNE, THE CTLR INFORMED ME I TOOK OFF FROM THE WRONG RWY. THIS HAPPENED ON THE PART 91 LEG OF A PART 135 DAY AND IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE NOTICED I 'LET MY GUARD DOWN' ON THE PART 91 LEG. THIS INCIDENT HAS REINFORCED MY EFFORTS TO 'GET BACK TO THE BASICS.' THE SAME BASICS I LEARNED AS A PVT PLT AND THE SAME BASICS THAT SHOULD APPLY NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOUR LEVEL OF RATINGS OR EXPERIENCE OR THE IMMEDIACY OF THE MISSION.

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.