A CRJ700 pilot's first night departure on san's runway 27 resulted in edge light line-up because the...

Attributes
ACN	677425
Time
Date	200511
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 700 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold ground : takeoff roll ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	677425
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
Airport	markings : san.airport

Narrative:

It was my first time to take off at night from san. We taxied out to runway 27 and were cleared to taxi into position and hold. It was not obvious where the runway started and the taxiway ended; so I was being very cautious. I taxied slowly and turned the landing lights on to better see where we were going. Being unfamiliar; I asked the first officer if this was the centerline that we had lined up on; and he said it was. I didn't know it at the time; but I lined up on the runway edge lights. We sat there for 1 min or so; and were then cleared for takeoff. Immediately after starting our takeoff roll; we could see we were not on the runway centerline. There was plenty of room to maneuver on the displaced threshold; so the first officer; who was flying; steered the aircraft back to the centerline while continuing the takeoff. The markings and lighting on this area of the airport are (to me) not very straight forward like they should be. I believe this is what caused the problem. Increased awareness and better vigilance would help prevent this problem. I would like to see my company address this issue at a recurrent training session since I believe it has probably happened before and will probably happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ700 PLT'S FIRST NIGHT DEP ON SAN'S RWY 27 RESULTED IN EDGE LIGHT LINE-UP BECAUSE THE CTRLINE WAS NOT CLR TO THE CREW.

Narrative: IT WAS MY FIRST TIME TO TAKE OFF AT NIGHT FROM SAN. WE TAXIED OUT TO RWY 27 AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. IT WAS NOT OBVIOUS WHERE THE RWY STARTED AND THE TXWY ENDED; SO I WAS BEING VERY CAUTIOUS. I TAXIED SLOWLY AND TURNED THE LNDG LIGHTS ON TO BETTER SEE WHERE WE WERE GOING. BEING UNFAMILIAR; I ASKED THE FO IF THIS WAS THE CTRLINE THAT WE HAD LINED UP ON; AND HE SAID IT WAS. I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME; BUT I LINED UP ON THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. WE SAT THERE FOR 1 MIN OR SO; AND WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF. IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING OUR TKOF ROLL; WE COULD SEE WE WERE NOT ON THE RWY CTRLINE. THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO MANEUVER ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD; SO THE FO; WHO WAS FLYING; STEERED THE ACFT BACK TO THE CTRLINE WHILE CONTINUING THE TKOF. THE MARKINGS AND LIGHTING ON THIS AREA OF THE ARPT ARE (TO ME) NOT VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD LIKE THEY SHOULD BE. I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE PROB. INCREASED AWARENESS AND BETTER VIGILANCE WOULD HELP PREVENT THIS PROB. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MY COMPANY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AT A RECURRENT TRAINING SESSION SINCE I BELIEVE IT HAS PROBABLY HAPPENED BEFORE AND WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A CRJ700 pilot's first night departure on san's runway 27 resulted in edge light line-up because the centerline was not clear to the crew.