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West end of runway 10-28 notamed 700 ft closed. When queried tower controller declared entire 9200 ft available.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 193472 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199110 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : msy |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | controller : radar controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 193742 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Air carrier flight msy to ord. Flight was 'weight critical'. Captain asked engineer for confign for takeoff. Discussion ensued as to actual runway length available. West 700 ft of 10-28 (9200) was notamed unavailable due to construction, but construction appeared to be located beyond end of runway. Crew then asked tower if 'full length of runway' was available. Tower answered 'affirmative'. Crew, not satisfied, then asked if 9200 ft was available. Tower again answered 'affirmative'. By this time we were holding short of runway 10. Captain counted markers from taxiway to runway end and guessed that only 8500 ft open. Engineer noted that either length was sufficient, and had actually planned for 8500 ft. When we taxied to runway end, markers confirmed length of 8500 ft. Crew discussed why tower would give inaccurate information, and decided that construction had been in place so long that controllers considered 8500 ft to be 'normal' full length. As observer, I must question the crew's failure to call the controller's attention to his error, as well as the error itself. Mistakes that are allowed to pass, are likely to be repeated.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: W END OF RWY 10-28 NOTAMED 700 FT CLOSED. WHEN QUERIED TWR CTLR DECLARED ENTIRE 9200 FT AVAILABLE.
Narrative: ACR FLT MSY TO ORD. FLT WAS 'WT CRITICAL'. CAPT ASKED ENGINEER FOR CONFIGN FOR TKOF. DISCUSSION ENSUED AS TO ACTUAL RWY LENGTH AVAILABLE. W 700 FT OF 10-28 (9200) WAS NOTAMED UNAVAILABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, BUT CONSTRUCTION APPEARED TO BE LOCATED BEYOND END OF RWY. CREW THEN ASKED TWR IF 'FULL LENGTH OF RWY' WAS AVAILABLE. TWR ANSWERED 'AFFIRMATIVE'. CREW, NOT SATISFIED, THEN ASKED IF 9200 FT WAS AVAILABLE. TWR AGAIN ANSWERED 'AFFIRMATIVE'. BY THIS TIME WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 10. CAPT COUNTED MARKERS FROM TAXIWAY TO RWY END AND GUESSED THAT ONLY 8500 FT OPEN. ENGINEER NOTED THAT EITHER LENGTH WAS SUFFICIENT, AND HAD ACTUALLY PLANNED FOR 8500 FT. WHEN WE TAXIED TO RWY END, MARKERS CONFIRMED LENGTH OF 8500 FT. CREW DISCUSSED WHY TWR WOULD GIVE INACCURATE INFO, AND DECIDED THAT CONSTRUCTION HAD BEEN IN PLACE SO LONG THAT CTLRS CONSIDERED 8500 FT TO BE 'NORMAL' FULL LENGTH. AS OBSERVER, I MUST QUESTION THE CREW'S FAILURE TO CALL THE CTLR'S ATTN TO HIS ERROR, AS WELL AS THE ERROR ITSELF. MISTAKES THAT ARE ALLOWED TO PASS, ARE LIKELY TO BE REPEATED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.