Narrative:

It is with great urgency that I report an extreme hazard that is a threat to the aviation community. According to airport personnel at 13WA, 6 months ago a permit was issued by snohomish county, wa, and a roadway constructed less than a hundred yds west of their airpark. Also, at a previous date, perpendicular power lines were installed just short of the flight path of traffic arriving or departing this area. Both of these developments occurred despite strong criticism and warnings re: the inevitable hazards to aircraft of mistaking this roadway for a landing strip. On 10/thur/85 after flight preparation I proceeded from bfi to 13WA with 7 mi visibility, haze and a dusk like appearance to the sky. After spotting the airstrip, and completing a fly-by noting parked aircraft lined perpendicular to a runway, appearing to be 1700' in length and running 340/160, I entered on the 45, downwind leg, right-hand pattern traffic landing to the north. Proceeding to turn base and then final, in short field confign approximately 3' AGL and directly above the south end of the runway, I leveled out preparing to flare and land the aircraft. Upon doing so, I noted an obstruction appearing to be a gate, running across the airstrip directly in my flight path. Having no other available courses of action, after immediately applying carburetor heat and full throttle, I proceeded with evasive actions, and assumed a climb attitude. Upon doing so, I flew through power lines running perpendicular to the landing site. Maintaining control of the aircraft and establishing communications with the pilot on the ground who had observed the course of events, I proceeded to complete a flyby so that a fellow pilot could help determine whether or not the aircraft had sustained any damages that could help determine whether or not the aircraft had sustained any damages that would influence a safe landing of the airplane. After being informed that no damages were observed, I landed the aircraft west/O further incident. Despite my good fortune of no injuries, and only minor damages to the aircraft, I fear that whoever this happens to next will not be as fortunate. With the current conditions of no markings (yellow X's) on the roadway, or the power lines not buried, it is not a matter of if, but rather only a matter of time before somebody is killed. Therefore, I implore swift and immediate action on the part of your administration. Thank you. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that this was the first time he had gone to this airport. He elaborated on the photos that were included with his report. He emphasized that the airport community had complained about the hazard created by the road prior to its construction, but that the county went ahead anyway. He was told by airport personnel that other pilots had mistakenly lined up with the road, but had discovered their mistake before getting too low. Reporter suggests that the road be marked with yellow 'X's' and that the runway be marked with runway #'south and a centerline to better distinguish between the two. Furthermore, he would like a warning placed in the airport/facility directory re: the presence of the road and the possibility of mistaking it for the runway. Local FSDO investigated the incident after the pilot reported it to them. FSDO absolved reporter of any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the county has failed to take any corrective action involving the road, and has requested that the reporter pay for the damage to the powerlines. Reporter's aircraft broke several high voltage lines and dragged them for several hundred ft during his go around maneuver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW-TIME SMA PLT MISTAKES ADJACENT ROAD FOR RWY OF UNCONTROLLED ARPT DUE TO THEIR REMARKABLE SIMILARITY. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LAND, PLT SEES AN OBSTRUCTION ON ROADWAY AND ATTEMPTS GO AROUND ONLY TO HIT POWERLINES AT END OF ROADWAY. PLT THEN LANDED ACFT ON ACTUAL RWY WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURY RESULTING.

Narrative: IT IS WITH GREAT URGENCY THAT I RPT AN EXTREME HAZARD THAT IS A THREAT TO THE AVIATION COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO ARPT PERSONNEL AT 13WA, 6 MONTHS AGO A PERMIT WAS ISSUED BY SNOHOMISH COUNTY, WA, AND A ROADWAY CONSTRUCTED LESS THAN A HUNDRED YDS W OF THEIR AIRPARK. ALSO, AT A PREVIOUS DATE, PERPENDICULAR PWR LINES WERE INSTALLED JUST SHORT OF THE FLT PATH OF TFC ARRIVING OR DEPARTING THIS AREA. BOTH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS OCCURRED DESPITE STRONG CRITICISM AND WARNINGS RE: THE INEVITABLE HAZARDS TO ACFT OF MISTAKING THIS ROADWAY FOR A LNDG STRIP. ON 10/THUR/85 AFTER FLT PREPARATION I PROCEEDED FROM BFI TO 13WA WITH 7 MI VISIBILITY, HAZE AND A DUSK LIKE APPEARANCE TO THE SKY. AFTER SPOTTING THE AIRSTRIP, AND COMPLETING A FLY-BY NOTING PARKED ACFT LINED PERPENDICULAR TO A RWY, APPEARING TO BE 1700' IN LENGTH AND RUNNING 340/160, I ENTERED ON THE 45, DOWNWIND LEG, RIGHT-HAND PATTERN TFC LNDG TO THE N. PROCEEDING TO TURN BASE AND THEN FINAL, IN SHORT FIELD CONFIGN APPROX 3' AGL AND DIRECTLY ABOVE THE S END OF THE RWY, I LEVELED OUT PREPARING TO FLARE AND LAND THE ACFT. UPON DOING SO, I NOTED AN OBSTRUCTION APPEARING TO BE A GATE, RUNNING ACROSS THE AIRSTRIP DIRECTLY IN MY FLT PATH. HAVING NO OTHER AVAILABLE COURSES OF ACTION, AFTER IMMEDIATELY APPLYING CARB HEAT AND FULL THROTTLE, I PROCEEDED WITH EVASIVE ACTIONS, AND ASSUMED A CLB ATTITUDE. UPON DOING SO, I FLEW THROUGH PWR LINES RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO THE LNDG SITE. MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE ACFT AND ESTABLISHING COMS WITH THE PLT ON THE GND WHO HAD OBSERVED THE COURSE OF EVENTS, I PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE A FLYBY SO THAT A FELLOW PLT COULD HELP DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE ACFT HAD SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGES THAT COULD HELP DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE ACFT HAD SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGES THAT WOULD INFLUENCE A SAFE LNDG OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT NO DAMAGES WERE OBSERVED, I LANDED THE ACFT W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. DESPITE MY GOOD FORTUNE OF NO INJURIES, AND ONLY MINOR DAMAGES TO THE ACFT, I FEAR THAT WHOEVER THIS HAPPENS TO NEXT WILL NOT BE AS FORTUNATE. WITH THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF NO MARKINGS (YELLOW X'S) ON THE ROADWAY, OR THE PWR LINES NOT BURIED, IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF, BUT RATHER ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEBODY IS KILLED. THEREFORE, I IMPLORE SWIFT AND IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE PART OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD GONE TO THIS ARPT. HE ELABORATED ON THE PHOTOS THAT WERE INCLUDED WITH HIS RPT. HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE ARPT COMMUNITY HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE HAZARD CREATED BY THE ROAD PRIOR TO ITS CONSTRUCTION, BUT THAT THE COUNTY WENT AHEAD ANYWAY. HE WAS TOLD BY ARPT PERSONNEL THAT OTHER PLTS HAD MISTAKENLY LINED UP WITH THE ROAD, BUT HAD DISCOVERED THEIR MISTAKE BEFORE GETTING TOO LOW. RPTR SUGGESTS THAT THE ROAD BE MARKED WITH YELLOW 'X'S' AND THAT THE RWY BE MARKED WITH RWY #'S AND A CENTERLINE TO BETTER DISTINGUISH BTWN THE TWO. FURTHERMORE, HE WOULD LIKE A WARNING PLACED IN THE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY RE: THE PRESENCE OF THE ROAD AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MISTAKING IT FOR THE RWY. LCL FSDO INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AFTER THE PLT RPTED IT TO THEM. FSDO ABSOLVED RPTR OF ANY WRONGDOING. MEANWHILE, THE COUNTY HAS FAILED TO TAKE ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION INVOLVING THE ROAD, AND HAS REQUESTED THAT THE RPTR PAY FOR THE DAMAGE TO THE POWERLINES. RPTR'S ACFT BROKE SEVERAL HIGH VOLTAGE LINES AND DRAGGED THEM FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED FT DURING HIS GAR MANEUVER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.