Cleared for takeoff runway 12R. Made takeoff on runway 17 in error at hou.

Attributes
ACN	83934
Time
Date	198803
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	83934
Person 2
Function	observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

I was getting checked out in the medium large transport aircraft after flying large transport for 17 yrs. This was my first time operating out of hou hobby. Was cleared to taxi to runway 12R for takeoff, mistakenly lined up and, after about 30 seconds in position, took off on runway 17. After takeoff tower controller informed me of the mistake. Contributing factors: I was new in medium large transport aircraft, and the check pilot was diverting my attention during a critical time by asking me questions about the operation of this type of aircraft. Also, he failed to notice the mistake. Tower controller cleared us for takeoff west/O noticing we were lined up on the wrong runway. The takeoff ends of runway 17 and 12R are in close proximity to each other at hou hobby, and it is necessary to cross runway 17 to take position on runway 12R.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLEARED FOR TKOF RWY 12R. MADE TKOF ON RWY 17 IN ERROR AT HOU.

Narrative: I WAS GETTING CHKED OUT IN THE MLG ACFT AFTER FLYING LGT FOR 17 YRS. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME OPERATING OUT OF HOU HOBBY. WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 12R FOR TKOF, MISTAKENLY LINED UP AND, AFTER ABOUT 30 SECS IN POS, TOOK OFF ON RWY 17. AFTER TKOF TWR CTLR INFORMED ME OF THE MISTAKE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I WAS NEW IN MLG ACFT, AND THE CHK PLT WAS DIVERTING MY ATTN DURING A CRITICAL TIME BY ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OPERATION OF THIS TYPE OF ACFT. ALSO, HE FAILED TO NOTICE THE MISTAKE. TWR CTLR CLRED US FOR TKOF W/O NOTICING WE WERE LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY. THE TKOF ENDS OF RWY 17 AND 12R ARE IN CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER AT HOU HOBBY, AND IT IS NECESSARY TO CROSS RWY 17 TO TAKE POS ON RWY 12R.

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