Narrative:

Prior to departing knoxville, ky, airport, reporter called nashville FSS for a briefing. The WX briefer did not mention a NOTAM for ged. On the ground at tys, filed an IFR flight plan to ged. We canceled IFR to VFR flight following with dover approach control north of the pxt VOR and maintained same squawk code. I called ged unicom for airport advisory and was given runway 22 as active, no winds, no mention of any obstruction or that any portion of the runway was unusable or that there was a displaced threshold upon which you could not land. There were no displaced threshold markings and we were not able to see any obstructions from the air. The obstructions were not visible to us as we approached and touched down. After we touched down and were rolling out, something came into view, it was too late to go around and be sure of not hitting whatever we thought it was with takeoff power, so we had no choice but to slam on the brakes as hard as we could. We experienced 2 slamming noises. When we got out the damage was obvious. Presently the state and local authorities arrived to the scene. It turned out that the obstruction was 1 row of railroad ties approximately 6-8 inches high. We heard consensus among all the authorities that these railroad ties were not visible to aircraft. After the incident I noticed that barrels (3-4 ft high with active yellow lights) had been added near the railroad ties. Construction at the airport was federally funded with matching state of delaware funds. Therefore, administrator of the delaware aeronautics administration came to review the scene the afternoon of aug/xx/94. On monday, a representative of the FAA came to view the field. He is from the flight standard district office #17 (located in philadelphia). I would like to make a pilot report (PIREP) and recommend a change in the NOTAM for ged georgetown, sussex county airport: runway 04 at ged has an 'obstruction' crossing the runway approximately 1200 ft from the beginning of runway 04. This is not a typical displaced threshold, it is an actual obstruction consisting of railroad ties which are too difficult to see while operating an aircraft. Unless this has been removed, I believe that pilots should be warned that there is an 'obstruction' across the runway that could endanger their aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there was no NOTAM issued until after the incident. The NOTAM refers to a 'displaced threshold' which reporter considers a gross misstatement. It is a definite hazard to aircraft. There is no breakaway capability and lights and barrels were added only after the incident. Reporter has found that this is the second construction job by this company who has no knowledge or experience regarding airports. Contractor felt he was protecting his personnel and equipment, but the airport manager should have been more aware of the hazard and not allowed the runway obstruction. Reporter has followed up with FAA and suggested PIREP or at least a more accurate NOTAM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON LNDG ROLLOUT PLT ENCOUNTERS RWY BARRIER OF RAILROAD TIES. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING KNOXVILLE, KY, ARPT, RPTR CALLED NASHVILLE FSS FOR A BRIEFING. THE WX BRIEFER DID NOT MENTION A NOTAM FOR GED. ON THE GND AT TYS, FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO GED. WE CANCELED IFR TO VFR FLT FOLLOWING WITH DOVER APCH CTL N OF THE PXT VOR AND MAINTAINED SAME SQUAWK CODE. I CALLED GED UNICOM FOR ARPT ADVISORY AND WAS GIVEN RWY 22 AS ACTIVE, NO WINDS, NO MENTION OF ANY OBSTRUCTION OR THAT ANY PORTION OF THE RWY WAS UNUSABLE OR THAT THERE WAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD UPON WHICH YOU COULD NOT LAND. THERE WERE NO DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKINGS AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE ANY OBSTRUCTIONS FROM THE AIR. THE OBSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT VISIBLE TO US AS WE APCHED AND TOUCHED DOWN. AFTER WE TOUCHED DOWN AND WERE ROLLING OUT, SOMETHING CAME INTO VIEW, IT WAS TOO LATE TO GAR AND BE SURE OF NOT HITTING WHATEVER WE THOUGHT IT WAS WITH TKOF PWR, SO WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS WE COULD. WE EXPERIENCED 2 SLAMMING NOISES. WHEN WE GOT OUT THE DAMAGE WAS OBVIOUS. PRESENTLY THE STATE AND LCL AUTHORITIES ARRIVED TO THE SCENE. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE OBSTRUCTION WAS 1 ROW OF RAILROAD TIES APPROX 6-8 INCHES HIGH. WE HEARD CONSENSUS AMONG ALL THE AUTHORITIES THAT THESE RAILROAD TIES WERE NOT VISIBLE TO ACFT. AFTER THE INCIDENT I NOTICED THAT BARRELS (3-4 FT HIGH WITH ACTIVE YELLOW LIGHTS) HAD BEEN ADDED NEAR THE RAILROAD TIES. CONSTRUCTION AT THE ARPT WAS FEDERALLY FUNDED WITH MATCHING STATE OF DELAWARE FUNDS. THEREFORE, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DELAWARE AERONAUTICS ADMINISTRATION CAME TO REVIEW THE SCENE THE AFTERNOON OF AUG/XX/94. ON MONDAY, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FAA CAME TO VIEW THE FIELD. HE IS FROM THE FLT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE #17 (LOCATED IN PHILADELPHIA). I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PLT RPT (PIREP) AND RECOMMEND A CHANGE IN THE NOTAM FOR GED GEORGETOWN, SUSSEX COUNTY ARPT: RWY 04 AT GED HAS AN 'OBSTRUCTION' XING THE RWY APPROX 1200 FT FROM THE BEGINNING OF RWY 04. THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL DISPLACED THRESHOLD, IT IS AN ACTUAL OBSTRUCTION CONSISTING OF RAILROAD TIES WHICH ARE TOO DIFFICULT TO SEE WHILE OPERATING AN ACFT. UNLESS THIS HAS BEEN REMOVED, I BELIEVE THAT PLTS SHOULD BE WARNED THAT THERE IS AN 'OBSTRUCTION' ACROSS THE RWY THAT COULD ENDANGER THEIR ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS NO NOTAM ISSUED UNTIL AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE NOTAM REFERS TO A 'DISPLACED THRESHOLD' WHICH RPTR CONSIDERS A GROSS MISSTATEMENT. IT IS A DEFINITE HAZARD TO ACFT. THERE IS NO BREAKAWAY CAPABILITY AND LIGHTS AND BARRELS WERE ADDED ONLY AFTER THE INCIDENT. RPTR HAS FOUND THAT THIS IS THE SECOND CONSTRUCTION JOB BY THIS COMPANY WHO HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE REGARDING ARPTS. CONTRACTOR FELT HE WAS PROTECTING HIS PERSONNEL AND EQUIP, BUT THE ARPT MGR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE HAZARD AND NOT ALLOWED THE RWY OBSTRUCTION. RPTR HAS FOLLOWED UP WITH FAA AND SUGGESTED PIREP OR AT LEAST A MORE ACCURATE NOTAM.

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.