PLT OF MD80 RPTS THAT TEMPORARY DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 28 AT MSY IS NOT ADEQUATELY MARKED.

Date: 2003-05 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: landing

Synopsis

PLT OF MD80 RPTS THAT TEMPORARY DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 28 AT MSY IS NOT ADEQUATELY MARKED.

Narrative

I FLEW AN ACR FLT FROM ZZZ TO MSY. I WAS INITIALLY DISPATCHED TO LAND WITH 5500 LBS OF FUEL; BUT I REQUESTED ANOTHER 2000 LBS WHEN I READ THE MSY NOTAMS; INDICATING THAT MSY WAS SINGLE RWY OPS WITH NO APCH TO THE LNDG RWY; RWY 28. ADDITIONALLY; THE APCH LIGHTS AND VASI FOR RWY 28 WERE OTS AND THE THRESHOLD WAS DISPLACED BY 774 FT. WE LANDED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME ACQUIRING THE ARPT IN THE SETTING SUN. ON SHORT FINAL; I WAS LOOKING FOR A DISPLACED THRESHOLD TO LAND BEYOND; BUT SAW NOTHING ON THE RWY EXCEPT THE NORMAL MARKINGS. WE LANDED ABOUT 2000 FT DOWN THE RWY AND TAXIED IN. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALS THE FOLLOWING: 1) THERE IS NO RWY SURFACE MARKING TO IDENT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. 2) 774 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD ARE 5 ORANGE CONES AND A YELLOW FLAG ON EACH SIDE OF THE RWY; NEAR THE EASTERNMOST VASI BOX. CONCERNS: 1) IS THIS AN FAA APPROVED WAY TO MARK A DISPLACED RWY THRESHOLD. 2) THE SPECIFICS ON HOW THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD WAS MARKED WAS NOT IN MY RELEASE PAPERWORK. 3) DISPATCH; AT LEAST ON MY FLT; DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR MSY SINGLE RWY OPS OR THE POTENTIAL DIFFICULTIES IN ACQUIRING THE ARPT IN THE LATE AFTERNOON VIS-A-VIS PLANNED FUEL ON DECK.

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