Apa controller described an attempted wrong runway direction take off event.

Attributes
ACN	967695
Time
Date	201109
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	APA.Airport
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Taxi
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Phase	Taxi
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Local
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Person 2
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 12 Flight Crew Total 688 Flight Crew Type 638
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Ground Conflict Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types Ground Incursion Runway

Narrative:

Ground control (ground control) placed a strip into my departure bay; a cherokee for a southeast departure off of runway 10 in red; I had two aircraft inbound to runway 28 and would have delayed the cherokee for several minutes; so I asked the cherokee if he could accept a 17L at A9 intersection departure. The cherokee read that back and I said affirmative; the cherokee said he could accept that; so I cleared the cherokee for a southeast departure off of 17L at A9. My next transmission was to a cessna full length. I said cessna runway 17L full length luaw traffic departing down-field. The cessna went into position. I visually saw the cherokee taking the runway from A9 then looked back at 28 for the cessna I had that was rolling out. At that time the ground control told me to tell the cherokee to stop; I turned around observed the cherokee rolling opposite direction and told him to stop. The cherokee had apparently turned right onto 35R instead of left onto 17L. I told the cherokee that 17L was the opposite direction and he exited the runway at A5. I told him to hold short of the runway and he read that back. Then I cleared the cessna for take off. I have no recommendations at the time; all the strip marking was correct.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APA Controller described an attempted wrong runway direction take off event.

Narrative: Ground Control (GC) placed a strip into my departure bay; a Cherokee for a Southeast departure off of Runway 10 in red; I had two aircraft inbound to Runway 28 and would have delayed the Cherokee for several minutes; so I asked the Cherokee if he could accept a 17L at A9 Intersection departure. The Cherokee read that back and I said affirmative; the Cherokee said he could accept that; so I cleared the Cherokee for a Southeast departure off of 17L at A9. My next transmission was to a Cessna full length. I said Cessna Runway 17L full length LUAW traffic departing down-field. The Cessna went into position. I visually saw the Cherokee taking the runway from A9 then looked back at 28 for the Cessna I had that was rolling out. At that time the Ground Control told me to tell the Cherokee to stop; I turned around observed the Cherokee rolling opposite direction and told him to stop. The Cherokee had apparently turned right onto 35R instead of left onto 17L. I told the Cherokee that 17L was the opposite direction and he exited the runway at A5. I told him to hold short of the runway and he read that back. Then I cleared the Cessna for take off. I have no recommendations at the time; all the strip marking was correct.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.