PLT REPORTS SAFETY CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO THE PROPOSED RWY EXTENSION OF 9R/27L AT FLL.

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SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE FLL PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE BLC RWY 9R/27L. 1) THE PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE BLC RWY 9R/27L DESIGN AT FLL WILL BE A SLOPED 8000 FT RWY WITH A +.6% GRADIENT FROM W TO E; TO ALLOW A RAIL LINE AND 6 LANES OF US RTE 1 TO PASS UNDERNEATH AT THE E END. WHILE A .6% GRADIENT MAY BE ACCEPTABLE FOR LIGHTWEIGHT NARROW BODY TRANSPORT CATEGORY ACFT FLYING SHORT STAGE LENGTHS; IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNSUITABLE FOR TKOF OF EITHER NARROW BODY OR WDB ACFT WHICH ARE AT OR NEAR TKOF GROSS WT LIMITS. A) DUE TO NOISE CONSIDERATIONS; THE BROWARD COUNTY AVIATIONS DEPT'S (BCAD) PREFERRED DEP RWY WILL BE THE PROPOSED RWY 9R WHICH WILL REQUIRE AN UPHILL TKOF. B) CONVERSELY; THE PREFERRED NOISE ABATEMENT RWY FOR WESTERLY ARRS WILL BE RWY 27L WHICH WILL RESULT IN A DOWNHILL LNDG. THESE 2 FACTORS ALONE ARE OPPOSED TO WHAT ANY RESPONSIBLE PIC WOULD CONSIDER GOOD JUDGEMENT WHEN A LEVEL; 9000 FT RWY IS AVAILABLE AND CLRLY THE SAFER ALTERNATIVE. THIS WOULD BE PARTICULARLY TRUE DURING CONDITIONS OF MODERATE TO HVY RAIN. 2) A STEEP DROP-OFF OF APPROX 40 FT AT THE E END OF THE PLANNED RWY IS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY THE USE OF MECHANICALLY STABILIZED EARTH (MSE) CONSTRUCTION. A RWY EXCURSION OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 9R DURING AN ABORTED TKOF OR A LNDG SHORT OF RWY 27L WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC. 3) HIGH SPD FREIGHT TRAINS WILL PASS DIRECTLY UNDER THE RWY. THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED FOR ANY RWY IN THE US. A DERAILMENT OF HVY WT FREIGHT CARS MOVING IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE OF THE RWY ABOVE. THE EFFECT ON THE ILS LOC AND THE GS SIGNALS BY TRANSITING FRIGHT TRAINS UNDER AN ACTIVE RWY IS UNDETERMINED. 4) THE LENGTH OF THE TUNNEL UNDER THE PROPOSED RWY 9R/27L WILL BE APPROX 1000 FT LONG. THERE IS NO RELIABLE MEANS OF PREVENTING HAZMAT FROM BEING TRANSPORTED UNDER THE RWY BY EITHER RAIL OR VEHICULAR TFC. THE INABILITY TO REALISTICALLY PROVIDE FOR THE SECURITY OF THE TUNNEL AND THE RWY IS ALSO A MAJOR CONCERN. 5) THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE FOR THE PROPOSED RWY 27L WILL BE DIRECTLY OVER THE TUNNEL. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TUNNEL MUST ACCOUNT FOR THE STRESSES IMPOSED BY REPETITIVE TOUCHDOWNS AND POSSIBLE OVERWT LNDGS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER AIRBORNE RETURN. THESE ARE JUST A REPRESENTATIVE FEW OF THE SAFETY ISSUES SURROUNDING THE DESIGN OF THE PROPOSED NEW RWY 9R/27L AT FT LAUDERDALE INTL ARPT. THE FAA IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THE DRAFT EIS (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT) SUBMITTED BY BROWARD COUNTY AND PENDING APPROVAL.