Date: 201203
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: RFD.Airport, IL
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: PA-24 Turbo Comanche
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: None
Mission: Personal
Flight phase: Takeoff / Launch
ATC / advisory: Tower RFD
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Single Pilot; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Confusion; Other / Unknown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was leaving RFD; having been parked in a hangar [northeast of Runway 19]. I was unfamiliar with the airport. I had picked up the ATIS and caught 1 or 25 as departing runways. When I called for my taxi clearance; I also asked for VFR flight following to be set up; and it was. After some confusion over the departure runways; I was offered; and accepted; progressive taxi to Runway 25. That was a left turn from the hangar area down Juliet? I didn't know how close I was; and when I saw Foxtrot; I asked if I should go there. I was told no; Runway 25 was my destination and I was at the end of 25. Seeing hold short lines all over the place; my first concern was that I had crossed the hold short line; but the controller told me to do my run-up right there where I was. AT THAT POINT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED; COLLECTED MY THOUGHTS; AND REVIEWED THE AIRPORT DIAGRAM; BUT I DIDN'T. This is when my mind put me ON THE RUNWAY; BUT I WAS TOLD TO DO THE RUN-UP SO IT WAS OK. In reality; I was still on a taxiway and had not had a runway incursion. Given the clearance to depart; I was too quick and assumed the taxiway was the runway and proceeded to depart on the taxiway. The Controller told me to 'stop; stop'; which I did; and he explained that I had begun a departure on a taxiway. I was told to do a 180 on the taxiway and come back and depart at the end of Runway 25. Adding insult to injury; when told to switch to departure frequency I managed to stay on Tower. Calling departure I was informed that I was still on Tower. During preflight; I had put Tower frequency on both radios. They were both on the active. When going to departure; I switched radios but not the frequency. Switching frequencies then put me with departure. The rest of the flight went well.Ground Control at destination informed me that RFD requested that I call. I knew what they wanted; and felt really bad about the unpreparedness. I have read of these situations and never considered that I would put myself in one of them. I learned that it is quite possible for me to screw up; and that I need to be more rigorous at every airport and phase of flight. The ultimate cause was hurried confusion; unfamiliarity with the airport; my position on the airport; and not referring to the airport diagram when I was unsure of my position.




Synopsis: PA28 pilot reports confusion during taxi to Runway 25 at RFD via Taxiway J. Thinking that Taxiway F is the runway a takeoff is attempted before being told to stop by the Tower and taxi back to the end of Runway 25.