Narrative:

While departing at night I rolled directly onto the runway from intersection after takeoff clearance from tower. As I made my turn onto the runway I aligned the aircraft with what I believed was the runway centerline lighting system. I applied takeoff power and utilized an inside/outside scan in order to check my gauges for engine performance/limits and to monitor my takeoff outside the aircraft. Prior to lift-off I heard/felt 2 small thumps. I was concerned but not alarmed and continued my takeoff due to the fact that I was close to rotation speed and that there were no other indications of a problem. Once airborne I asked ATC for a downwind turn in order to return to the field for landing. I was cleared for a visual approach. The approach; landing; rollout; taxi; and shutdown were all normal. Postflt inspection revealed damage to the left main landing gear door and the left flap. I called the tower from our office and advised them of the incident and requested a runway check by operations. An operations representative came to my hangar and reported 3 runway lights damaged. This confirmed my suspicion that I had not properly aligned myself with the runway centerline but rather the left side edge. I learned from tower that the runway centerline lights were not illuminated. The intersection of runways xx and yy plus the displaced threshold on runway xx leads to a confusing situation as one takes the runway for takeoff at night (and day!). I believe I followed the taxiway stripe leading to runway yy and then aligned the takeoff track with the left edge lights believing that I was on the runway xx centerline. There is significant runway material left of the edge lights. It appeared to be a normal takeoff. I recommend that the centerline lights always be utilized at night for all operations in order to avoid the situation I was involved in. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has operated from the airport for over 8 yrs with the same company and is familiar with the airport. He stated that it was late night/early morning and fatigue may have been a factor in the incident. He felt that he had a false sense of positional awareness when he took the runway and the lead in line he followed was for runway yy vice runway xx which caused him to line up on the edge lights for runway xx. Without the centerline lighting being illuminated he lost positional awareness. He noted that the airport authority/authorized had indicated that one other aircraft had a similar event several yrs ago. When questioned; the reporter indicated that he felt it was his mistake and that safety of flight was not an issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILATUS PC12 PLT LINES UP WITH RWY EDGE LIGHTS AND DAMAGES ACFT DURING TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING AT NIGHT I ROLLED DIRECTLY ONTO THE RWY FROM INTXN AFTER TKOF CLRNC FROM TWR. AS I MADE MY TURN ONTO THE RWY I ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH WHAT I BELIEVED WAS THE RWY CTRLINE LIGHTING SYS. I APPLIED TKOF PWR AND UTILIZED AN INSIDE/OUTSIDE SCAN IN ORDER TO CHK MY GAUGES FOR ENG PERFORMANCE/LIMITS AND TO MONITOR MY TKOF OUTSIDE THE ACFT. PRIOR TO LIFT-OFF I HEARD/FELT 2 SMALL THUMPS. I WAS CONCERNED BUT NOT ALARMED AND CONTINUED MY TKOF DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS CLOSE TO ROTATION SPD AND THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER INDICATIONS OF A PROB. ONCE AIRBORNE I ASKED ATC FOR A DOWNWIND TURN IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE FIELD FOR LNDG. I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE APCH; LNDG; ROLLOUT; TAXI; AND SHUTDOWN WERE ALL NORMAL. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR DOOR AND THE L FLAP. I CALLED THE TWR FROM OUR OFFICE AND ADVISED THEM OF THE INCIDENT AND REQUESTED A RWY CHK BY OPS. AN OPS REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO MY HANGAR AND RPTED 3 RWY LIGHTS DAMAGED. THIS CONFIRMED MY SUSPICION THAT I HAD NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED MYSELF WITH THE RWY CTRLINE BUT RATHER THE L SIDE EDGE. I LEARNED FROM TWR THAT THE RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. THE INTXN OF RWYS XX AND YY PLUS THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD ON RWY XX LEADS TO A CONFUSING SITUATION AS ONE TAKES THE RWY FOR TKOF AT NIGHT (AND DAY!). I BELIEVE I FOLLOWED THE TXWY STRIPE LEADING TO RWY YY AND THEN ALIGNED THE TKOF TRACK WITH THE L EDGE LIGHTS BELIEVING THAT I WAS ON THE RWY XX CTRLINE. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RWY MATERIAL L OF THE EDGE LIGHTS. IT APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL TKOF. I RECOMMEND THAT THE CTRLINE LIGHTS ALWAYS BE UTILIZED AT NIGHT FOR ALL OPS IN ORDER TO AVOID THE SITUATION I WAS INVOLVED IN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS OPERATED FROM THE ARPT FOR OVER 8 YRS WITH THE SAME COMPANY AND IS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. HE STATED THAT IT WAS LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING AND FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT. HE FELT THAT HE HAD A FALSE SENSE OF POSITIONAL AWARENESS WHEN HE TOOK THE RWY AND THE LEAD IN LINE HE FOLLOWED WAS FOR RWY YY VICE RWY XX WHICH CAUSED HIM TO LINE UP ON THE EDGE LIGHTS FOR RWY XX. WITHOUT THE CTRLINE LIGHTING BEING ILLUMINATED HE LOST POSITIONAL AWARENESS. HE NOTED THAT THE ARPT AUTH HAD INDICATED THAT ONE OTHER ACFT HAD A SIMILAR EVENT SEVERAL YRS AGO. WHEN QUESTIONED; THE RPTR INDICATED THAT HE FELT IT WAS HIS MISTAKE AND THAT SAFETY OF FLT WAS NOT AN ISSUE.

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.