DHC8 FLC USES AN UNAUTH RWY FOR LNDG. UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative

WE WERE DOING THE 'CREW BRIEFING' PORTION OF THE 'BEFORE START' CHKLIST; WHEN THE CAPT ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY UNIQUE DEP PROCS. I DIDN'T SEE ANY WHEN I CHKED THE MANUAL; BUT I DID NOTICE A SMALL NOTE IN REF TO RWY 15/33; CLOSED TO WINGSPAN OVER 80 FT AND/OR APCH SPD GREATER THAN 120 KTS. WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 15; AND WHILE THE DIMENSIONS ARE NOT SOMETHING I COMMIT TO MEMORY; I HAD A NAGGING FEELING THAT WE WERE IN EXCESS OF 80 FT; WHICH I CONVEYED TO THE CAPT. WE THEN CHKED THE AIRPLANE FLT MANUAL; WHICH CONFIRMED THE WINGSPAN AT 85 FT. WE DECIDED TO LET BY-GONES BE BY-GONES; AND DISCRETELY ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE NEEDED RWY 5 FOR DEP (INSTEAD OF RWY 15; WHICH WAS THE ACTIVE). THERE WAS NO APPARENT PHYSICAL RESTR ON THE RWY WHICH WOULD SET A WINGSPAN LIMITATION; SO WE SURMISED THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO NOISE ABATEMENT CONSIDERATIONS. AFTER CHKING WITH SOME OF OUR FELLOW COMPANY PLTS WHO HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF GON RECENTLY; WE DISCOVERED THAT; A) THEY WERE EQUALLY UNAWARE OF THE RESTR; AND B) NONE OF THE PEOPLE I TALKED WITH KNEW THE ACFT'S WINGSPAN OFF THE TOP OF THEIR HEADS EITHER (INCLUDING A NUMBER WHO HAD LANDED/TAKEN OFF ON RWY 15/33). THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY PREVENTED HAD I REVIEWED THE ADDITIONAL RWY INFO SECTION PRIOR TO LNDG. I CONFESS TO BEING MORE THAN A LITTLE LAX IN THIS AREA; WHICH IS EVEN WORSE IN THIS CASE BECAUSE I HAVE ONLY BEEN TO GON ONCE BEFORE DURING THE LAST 4 YRS. I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS A MORE RIGOROUS PART OF MY OWN PROCS IN THE FUTURE. I SUSPECTED THAT EVEN IF THE TWR CTLRS ARE AWARE OF THIS RESTR; THEY ARE PROBABLY UNAWARE OF THE SIZE OF OUR ACFT. IN ANY EVENT; THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE PLT(S).