Narrative:

When I flew into this airport two days earlier I was told to land on runway 17L; even though there was no landing or departing traffic. When I departed at dusk from the executive terminal I got a taxi clearance to go to runway 17R; I picked up taxi yellow line and proceeded to runway 17R. There was new asphalt and taxiway painted line -- I held short at the taxi hold yellow double dashed line which defines taxiway from uncontrolled area. After run-up done I asked tower for takeoff -- waited for landing traffic to land which I thought was on runway 17L; like I was instructed to when I landed two days earlier -- was cleared to takeoff and seeing a mandatory red runway sign at that location which I should have taxied past I mistook the 75 ft taxiway for runway 17R and did a takeoff on the taxiway. I was looking down taxiway and saw no plane on taxiway -- when I took a quick glance to be sure of rotation speed I looked back and saw a small jet taxiing ahead of me towards me -- my first thought was why is he taxiing back on the runway (wrong of me). I had plenty of speed for rotation so just then tower was telling me about the jet but the safe thing to do at that time was to rotate and climb and go to the right as you always should if possible. When I was positive I had at least a hundred ft up I leveled off and looked down to the left and saw the jet with his right main on hard gravel to the right of the taxiway stopped. After some talk to the tower that I had considered the double dashed yellow line the hold short runway line; and the red mandatory sign was to be taxied past -- and that it had happened several times at the other end of the runway so they had put up not just two; but four signs to prevent just what I did at the other end. Had they not just done the construction this would have never happened; I would have been made to turn onto the taxiway at an earlier point and continue to the runway hold short location -- but the new construction changed that and even though all of the taxiway markings were correct it is going to happen again unless signs are placed at the runway 17R end also. Under these conditions I think it would have been prudent of the tower to look where I was; being not at the hold short line; but where I was and told me to go to the runway -- the investigator told me they said there was a pole that blocked their view or something; and that they were watching some helicopter traffic the other way -- as always it takes several mistakes to have something like this happen. I have 2600 hours in this airplane; a mooney M-20 J -- and even though you do not have greatest visibility right close in front of you I did mistake the controlled line for the hold short -- then a beautiful 75 ft by 5000 ft taxiway with great aprons on both side was better than most of the runways I have used in my 28 plus year of flying. I do expert witness motorcycle accident investigations; so I do have some feel for this; so since you asked for my input I think the following things would go a long way to not let this happen again. Put the four signs up on the end of this taxiway like you have at the other end. Put the mandatory red sign next to the runway with the arrow pointing ahead not like the one that used to be for the taxiway when there was only one area to taxi on. Make the departing taxi traffic use the next to last turn on/off area by painting the taxi yellow line to put the planes off the uncontrolled area onto the real taxiway prior to getting to the end of the runway. Have tower people look at where the plane is when it reports holding short and advise them if they needed to go to runway hold short line for runway assigned. This could have been very bad if there was not plenty of time to take evasive action which I did with no delay. I have since; and always will (and all pilots should) study the airport diagram prior to taxi -- and taken the pilot group runway safety course like I have now completed with a top score. Great program -- will do more of them to bone me up in all other area courses are provided -- they are fun and very helpful. I am very sorry this happened; but nowthat it has I hope things will be done to try and not let it happen again.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised there are now two txwys northbound from the executive ramp to the approach end of the runways 17 complex. Reporter taxied via the new; westernmost taxiway. At the runway end there are now three options toward the south; the original taxiway; runway 17R and runway 17L. Utilizing his commercial airport page and led somewhat astray by runway signs that were confusing due to the taxiway change; he chose the first southbound strip; unfortunately; taxiway a.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20 PLT TAKES OFF ON PARALLEL TXWY AT HND VICE RWY 17R AS CLEARED. BIZ JET TAXIING NORTHBOUND MUST TURN OFF OF TXWY SURFACE IN RESPONSE. COMMERCIAL ARPT CHART APPARENTLY DOES NOT DEPICT NEW NORTH BOUND TAXIWAY FROM RAP; ALTHOUGH NACO CHART DOES.

Narrative: WHEN I FLEW INTO THIS ARPT TWO DAYS EARLIER I WAS TOLD TO LAND ON RWY 17L; EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO LNDG OR DEPARTING TFC. WHEN I DEPARTED AT DUSK FROM THE EXECUTIVE TERMINAL I GOT A TAXI CLRNC TO GO TO RWY 17R; I PICKED UP TAXI YELLOW LINE AND PROCEEDED TO RWY 17R. THERE WAS NEW ASPHALT AND TXWY PAINTED LINE -- I HELD SHORT AT THE TAXI HOLD YELLOW DOUBLE DASHED LINE WHICH DEFINES TXWY FROM UNCONTROLLED AREA. AFTER RUN-UP DONE I ASKED TOWER FOR TKOF -- WAITED FOR LNDG TFC TO LAND WHICH I THOUGHT WAS ON RWY 17L; LIKE I WAS INSTRUCTED TO WHEN I LANDED TWO DAYS EARLIER -- WAS CLEARED TO TKOF AND SEEING A MANDATORY RED RWY SIGN AT THAT LOCATION WHICH I SHOULD HAVE TAXIED PAST I MISTOOK THE 75 FT TXWY FOR RWY 17R AND DID A TKOF ON THE TXWY. I WAS LOOKING DOWN TXWY AND SAW NO PLANE ON TXWY -- WHEN I TOOK A QUICK GLANCE TO BE SURE OF ROTATION SPD I LOOKED BACK AND SAW A SMALL JET TAXIING AHEAD OF ME TOWARDS ME -- MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS WHY IS HE TAXIING BACK ON THE RWY (WRONG OF ME). I HAD PLENTY OF SPD FOR ROTATION SO JUST THEN TOWER WAS TELLING ME ABOUT THE JET BUT THE SAFE THING TO DO AT THAT TIME WAS TO ROTATE AND CLB AND GO TO THE R AS YOU ALWAYS SHOULD IF POSSIBLE. WHEN I WAS POSITIVE I HAD AT LEAST A HUNDRED FT UP I LEVELED OFF AND LOOKED DOWN TO THE L AND SAW THE JET WITH HIS R MAIN ON HARD GRAVEL TO THE R OF THE TXWY STOPPED. AFTER SOME TALK TO THE TOWER THAT I HAD CONSIDERED THE DOUBLE DASHED YELLOW LINE THE HOLD SHORT RWY LINE; AND THE RED MANDATORY SIGN WAS TO BE TAXIED PAST -- AND THAT IT HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY SO THEY HAD PUT UP NOT JUST TWO; BUT FOUR SIGNS TO PREVENT JUST WHAT I DID AT THE OTHER END. HAD THEY NOT JUST DONE THE CONSTRUCTION THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED; I WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE TO TURN ONTO THE TXWY AT AN EARLIER POINT AND CONTINUE TO THE RWY HOLD SHORT LOCATION -- BUT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION CHANGED THAT AND EVEN THOUGH ALL OF THE TXWY MARKINGS WERE CORRECT IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN UNLESS SIGNS ARE PLACED AT THE RWY 17R END ALSO. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT OF THE TOWER TO LOOK WHERE I WAS; BEING NOT AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE; BUT WHERE I WAS AND TOLD ME TO GO TO THE RWY -- THE INVESTIGATOR TOLD ME THEY SAID THERE WAS A POLE THAT BLOCKED THEIR VIEW OR SOMETHING; AND THAT THEY WERE WATCHING SOME HELICOPTER TFC THE OTHER WAY -- AS ALWAYS IT TAKES SEVERAL MISTAKES TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. I HAVE 2600 HOURS IN THIS AIRPLANE; A MOONEY M-20 J -- AND EVEN THOUGH YOU DO NOT HAVE GREATEST VISIBILITY RIGHT CLOSE IN FRONT OF YOU I DID MISTAKE THE CONTROLLED LINE FOR THE HOLD SHORT -- THEN A BEAUTIFUL 75 FT BY 5000 FT TXWY WITH GREAT APRONS ON BOTH SIDE WAS BETTER THAN MOST OF THE RWYS I HAVE USED IN MY 28 PLUS YEAR OF FLYING. I DO EXPERT WITNESS MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS; SO I DO HAVE SOME FEEL FOR THIS; SO SINCE YOU ASKED FOR MY INPUT I THINK THE FOLLOWING THINGS WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. PUT THE FOUR SIGNS UP ON THE END OF THIS TXWY LIKE YOU HAVE AT THE OTHER END. PUT THE MANDATORY RED SIGN NEXT TO THE RWY WITH THE ARROW POINTING AHEAD NOT LIKE THE ONE THAT USED TO BE FOR THE TXWY WHEN THERE WAS ONLY ONE AREA TO TAXI ON. MAKE THE DEPARTING TAXI TFC USE THE NEXT TO LAST TURN ON/OFF AREA BY PAINTING THE TAXI YELLOW LINE TO PUT THE PLANES OFF THE UNCONTROLLED AREA ONTO THE REAL TXWY PRIOR TO GETTING TO THE END OF THE RWY. HAVE TOWER PEOPLE LOOK AT WHERE THE PLANE IS WHEN IT RPTS HOLDING SHORT AND ADVISE THEM IF THEY NEEDED TO GO TO RWY HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY ASSIGNED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD IF THERE WAS NOT PLENTY OF TIME TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION WHICH I DID WITH NO DELAY. I HAVE SINCE; AND ALWAYS WILL (AND ALL PLTS SHOULD) STUDY THE ARPT DIAGRAM PRIOR TO TAXI -- AND TAKEN THE PLT GROUP RWY SAFETY COURSE LIKE I HAVE NOW COMPLETED WITH A TOP SCORE. GREAT PROGRAM -- WILL DO MORE OF THEM TO BONE ME UP IN ALL OTHER AREA COURSES ARE PROVIDED -- THEY ARE FUN AND VERY HELPFUL. I AM VERY SORRY THIS HAPPENED; BUT NOWTHAT IT HAS I HOPE THINGS WILL BE DONE TO TRY AND NOT LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THERE ARE NOW TWO TXWYS NORTHBOUND FROM THE EXECUTIVE RAMP TO THE APCH END OF THE RWYS 17 COMPLEX. RPTR TAXIED VIA THE NEW; WESTERNMOST TXWY. AT THE RWY END THERE ARE NOW THREE OPTIONS TOWARD THE SOUTH; THE ORIGINAL TXWY; RWY 17R AND RWY 17L. UTILIZING HIS COMMERCIAL ARPT PAGE AND LED SOMEWHAT ASTRAY BY RWY SIGNS THAT WERE CONFUSING DUE TO THE TXWY CHANGE; HE CHOSE THE FIRST SOUTHBOUND STRIP; UNFORTUNATELY; TXWY A.

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.