MD80 FLC WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN ON RWY DUE TO ACFT WT RESTR AND CONSTRUCTION ON TXWYS. PIC CONCERNED WITH LIMITED NOTAM DISTRIBUTION.

Date: 1998-11 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

MD80 FLC WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN ON RWY DUE TO ACFT WT RESTR AND CONSTRUCTION ON TXWYS. PIC CONCERNED WITH LIMITED NOTAM DISTRIBUTION.

Narrative

WE WERE LNDG AT RIC. WE REQUESTED RWY 16 FOR LNDG DUE TO RWY LENGTH. I PLANNED TO TURN OFF AT THE END; AS RWY 7/25 WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. 1/2 WAY THROUGH OUR LNDG ROLLOUT; AT NIGHT; THE TWR ASKED US TO TURN OFF ON THE INTERCEPTING RWY 25. WE WERE STILL TOO FAST TO MAKE THAT TURN; AND CONTINUED DOWN TO TAXI SPD SOMEWHERE AROUND 1000-2000 FT REMAINING; PLANNING TO TURN OFF AT THE END. AS WE SLOWED; THE TWR THEN SAID IF WE MISSED RWY 25 WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND BACK TAXI TO RWY 25. I MOVED TO THE R AND STARTED A L 180 DEG TURN. WHEN WE WERE THROUGH ABOUT 90 DEGS OF TURN; THE TWR THEN SAID THEY WANTED US TO DO THE TURN AT THE 150 FT REMAINING POINT. THEY NEVER DID SAY WHY. THEY THEN SAID; 'OH; YOU ARE ALREADY IN THE TURN; NEVER MIND.' THE NEXT MORNING; I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHY THE REQUEST TO USE 150 FT REMAINING POINT; SO I CALLED THE TWR. HE SAID THEY HAD AN ACFT SLIP OFF THE SIDE DOING A 180 DEG TURN BECAUSE THE SIDES WERE NOT WT BEARING. I ASKED THE TWR IF THEY WERE FIXING THE PROB AND HE SAID NOT THAT HE KNEW OF. UPON GOING OVER THE PAPERWORK AGAIN; WE DISCOVERED HIDDEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RIC FIELD RPT A REQUEST TO MAKE 180 DEG TURNS WITH 150 FT REMAINING ON RWY 16/34. THIS ADVISORY SHOULD ALSO BE IN COMPANY DISTRIBUTION AND THE RIC NOTAMS. IN ADDITION; THE TWR SHOULD BE TELLING ACFT PRIOR TO LNDG; NOT DURING ROLLOUT; TO TURN OFF AT RWY 25 OR CONTINUE TO THE END FOR A 180 DEG TURN. THIS IS TOO BIG OF A GOTCHA. ALSO; ARE THEY FIXING THIS PROB; OR DOES IT JUST DISAPPEAR AFTER 2 MONTHS? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH TWR SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A TWR SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT CONSTRUCTION OF TXWY L WAS COMPLETED ON NOV/XA/98 AND MD80 WT SIZE ACFT; AND LARGER; CAN NOW USE TXWY L. ALL 'M' TXWYS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF ACFT WT CAPABILITIES; MD80 AND GREATER. SO WHEN TXWY L WAS BEING RESURFACED; MD80 LIKE-WT ACFT WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY. THE ARPT NOTAM REQUESTED ACFT TO PROCEED DOWN TO THE POS OF TXWY M3 OR TXWY M; FOR THEIR 180 DEG TURN; TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE ROOM IF THEY WERE UNABLE TO TURN AT RWY 7/25. THE SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THE RWY SHOULDERS WERE NOT WT STRESSED FOR MD80 AND ABOVE ACFT. THE SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT SINCE TXWY L HAD OPENED; ALL TXWY PROBS HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.