Narrative:

We were cleared into position on runway xxr at ZZZ and as I completed the turn onto the runway; I lined the aircraft up on what I thought was the runway centerline; confirmed by what I perceived to be the runway centerline lights. When we were lined up; the relief pilot said that we were not lined up correctly. While my line-up was not perfect; the first officer and I both thought that the relief pilot was being very particular since; according to my perspective; that the centerline was no more than 1 - 1.5 ft right of the nose. I don't recall my exact words; but I said something to the effect that '(name) (the PF) will fix it on the takeoff roll;' meaning that he would maneuver to the exact centerline as soon as we started to roll. At some point very early in the takeoff roll and below 60 KTS; I realized that we were on the right side of the runway and that what I thought were the centerline lights were in fact the runway edge lights. Once realized; I immediately called 'abort;' took control of the airplane; and simultaneously steered to the centerline and slowed the aircraft. We advised tower of the abort and exited the runway to assess the situation. I did not feel anything unusual or any bumps either before or during the abort. Since there was the possibility that we had hit some runway lights; we advised the tower of this and requested an inspection of the edge lights. A ground vehicle initially reported there was no damage; but an aircraft taxiing behind us said that he saw 2 lights damaged. We taxied back to the gate for a maintenance inspection which discovered 1 right main landing gear tire damaged and in need of replacement. After inspecting the aircraft and replacing the tire; maintenance signed off the logbook item and we departed. We departed on runway xyl which did not; unfortunately; afford us the chance to re-examine the runway xxr takeoff area to see what visual cues could have prompted me to line up on the right side. In rethinking this event over numerous times; 1 factor could have been the fact that with the displaced threshold the white runway edge lights did not begin until about 2500 ft down the runway. At this distance I could have mistaken the edge for the center. Supplemental information from acn 783158: taxi from the gate to runway xxr was uneventful as the before takeoff checklist was completed; we were given clearance to taxi into position and hold on runway xxr. As we were given the previous clearance; I closed my taxi diagram and placed it on top of my kit bag and checked that it would not slide during takeoff. When I looked back out of the forward windows; I noticed we were lined up on the right side of the runway; with the nosewheel a few ft left of the right side runway edge lights. I stated to the crew that we were not lined up right. The first officer looked back and said it's ok. We were given takeoff clearance soon after that and started to roll. I fully anticipated the first officer to start correcting towards the centerline. However; this did not occur and I stated again we were not lined up right. The captain recognized this; corrected us back towards the centerline and immediately aborted the takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 CAPT AND FO LINE THE ACFT FOR TKOF ON THE RWY RT SIDE HITTING LIGHTS AS THE TKOF ROLL BEGAN. TKOF WAS REJECTED AND TAXIED TO THE GATE FOR A TIRE CHANGE.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED INTO POS ON RWY XXR AT ZZZ AND AS I COMPLETED THE TURN ONTO THE RWY; I LINED THE ACFT UP ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY CTRLINE; CONFIRMED BY WHAT I PERCEIVED TO BE THE RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS. WHEN WE WERE LINED UP; THE RELIEF PLT SAID THAT WE WERE NOT LINED UP CORRECTLY. WHILE MY LINE-UP WAS NOT PERFECT; THE FO AND I BOTH THOUGHT THAT THE RELIEF PLT WAS BEING VERY PARTICULAR SINCE; ACCORDING TO MY PERSPECTIVE; THAT THE CTRLINE WAS NO MORE THAN 1 - 1.5 FT R OF THE NOSE. I DON'T RECALL MY EXACT WORDS; BUT I SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT '(NAME) (THE PF) WILL FIX IT ON THE TKOF ROLL;' MEANING THAT HE WOULD MANEUVER TO THE EXACT CTRLINE AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO ROLL. AT SOME POINT VERY EARLY IN THE TKOF ROLL AND BELOW 60 KTS; I REALIZED THAT WE WERE ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY AND THAT WHAT I THOUGHT WERE THE CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE IN FACT THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. ONCE REALIZED; I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 'ABORT;' TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE; AND SIMULTANEOUSLY STEERED TO THE CTRLINE AND SLOWED THE ACFT. WE ADVISED TWR OF THE ABORT AND EXITED THE RWY TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. I DID NOT FEEL ANYTHING UNUSUAL OR ANY BUMPS EITHER BEFORE OR DURING THE ABORT. SINCE THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE HAD HIT SOME RWY LIGHTS; WE ADVISED THE TWR OF THIS AND REQUESTED AN INSPECTION OF THE EDGE LIGHTS. A GND VEHICLE INITIALLY RPTED THERE WAS NO DAMAGE; BUT AN ACFT TAXIING BEHIND US SAID THAT HE SAW 2 LIGHTS DAMAGED. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE FOR A MAINT INSPECTION WHICH DISCOVERED 1 R MAIN LNDG GEAR TIRE DAMAGED AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. AFTER INSPECTING THE ACFT AND REPLACING THE TIRE; MAINT SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK ITEM AND WE DEPARTED. WE DEPARTED ON RWY XYL WHICH DID NOT; UNFORTUNATELY; AFFORD US THE CHANCE TO RE-EXAMINE THE RWY XXR TKOF AREA TO SEE WHAT VISUAL CUES COULD HAVE PROMPTED ME TO LINE UP ON THE R SIDE. IN RETHINKING THIS EVENT OVER NUMEROUS TIMES; 1 FACTOR COULD HAVE BEEN THE FACT THAT WITH THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD THE WHITE RWY EDGE LIGHTS DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL ABOUT 2500 FT DOWN THE RWY. AT THIS DISTANCE I COULD HAVE MISTAKEN THE EDGE FOR THE CTR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 783158: TAXI FROM THE GATE TO RWY XXR WAS UNEVENTFUL AS THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED; WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY XXR. AS WE WERE GIVEN THE PREVIOUS CLRNC; I CLOSED MY TAXI DIAGRAM AND PLACED IT ON TOP OF MY KIT BAG AND CHKED THAT IT WOULD NOT SLIDE DURING TKOF. WHEN I LOOKED BACK OUT OF THE FORWARD WINDOWS; I NOTICED WE WERE LINED UP ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY; WITH THE NOSEWHEEL A FEW FT L OF THE R SIDE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. I STATED TO THE CREW THAT WE WERE NOT LINED UP RIGHT. THE FO LOOKED BACK AND SAID IT'S OK. WE WERE GIVEN TKOF CLRNC SOON AFTER THAT AND STARTED TO ROLL. I FULLY ANTICIPATED THE FO TO START CORRECTING TOWARDS THE CTRLINE. HOWEVER; THIS DID NOT OCCUR AND I STATED AGAIN WE WERE NOT LINED UP RIGHT. THE CAPT RECOGNIZED THIS; CORRECTED US BACK TOWARDS THE CTRLINE AND IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.