Narrative:

We were doing the 'crew briefing' portion of the 'before start' checklist, when the captain asked if there were any unique departure procedures. I didn't see any when I checked the manual, but I did notice a small note in reference to runway 15/33, closed to wingspan over 80 ft and/or approach speed greater than 120 KTS. We had just landed on runway 15, and while the dimensions are not something I commit to memory, I had a nagging feeling that we were in excess of 80 ft, which I conveyed to the captain. We then checked the airplane flight manual, which confirmed the wingspan at 85 ft. We decided to let by-gones be by-gones, and discretely advised the tower that we needed runway 5 for departure (instead of runway 15, which was the active). There was no apparent physical restr on the runway which would set a wingspan limitation, so we surmised that it may have been due to noise abatement considerations. After checking with some of our fellow company pilots who have been in and out of gon recently, we discovered that, a) they were equally unaware of the restr, and B) none of the people I talked with knew the aircraft's wingspan off the top of their heads either (including a number who had landed/taken off on runway 15/33). This situation could have been easily prevented had I reviewed the additional runway information section prior to landing. I confess to being more than a little lax in this area, which is even worse in this case because I have only been to gon once before during the last 4 yrs. I am going to make this a more rigorous part of my own procedures in the future. I suspected that even if the tower controllers are aware of this restr, they are probably unaware of the size of our aircraft. In any event, the responsibility lies with the pilot(south).

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC8 FLC USES AN UNAUTH RWY FOR LNDG. UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE DOING THE 'CREW BRIEFING' PORTION OF THE 'BEFORE START' CHKLIST, WHEN THE CAPT ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY UNIQUE DEP PROCS. I DIDN'T SEE ANY WHEN I CHKED THE MANUAL, BUT I DID NOTICE A SMALL NOTE IN REF TO RWY 15/33, CLOSED TO WINGSPAN OVER 80 FT AND/OR APCH SPD GREATER THAN 120 KTS. WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 15, AND WHILE THE DIMENSIONS ARE NOT SOMETHING I COMMIT TO MEMORY, I HAD A NAGGING FEELING THAT WE WERE IN EXCESS OF 80 FT, WHICH I CONVEYED TO THE CAPT. WE THEN CHKED THE AIRPLANE FLT MANUAL, WHICH CONFIRMED THE WINGSPAN AT 85 FT. WE DECIDED TO LET BY-GONES BE BY-GONES, AND DISCRETELY ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE NEEDED RWY 5 FOR DEP (INSTEAD OF RWY 15, WHICH WAS THE ACTIVE). THERE WAS NO APPARENT PHYSICAL RESTR ON THE RWY WHICH WOULD SET A WINGSPAN LIMITATION, SO WE SURMISED THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO NOISE ABATEMENT CONSIDERATIONS. AFTER CHKING WITH SOME OF OUR FELLOW COMPANY PLTS WHO HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF GON RECENTLY, WE DISCOVERED THAT, A) THEY WERE EQUALLY UNAWARE OF THE RESTR, AND B) NONE OF THE PEOPLE I TALKED WITH KNEW THE ACFT'S WINGSPAN OFF THE TOP OF THEIR HEADS EITHER (INCLUDING A NUMBER WHO HAD LANDED/TAKEN OFF ON RWY 15/33). THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY PREVENTED HAD I REVIEWED THE ADDITIONAL RWY INFO SECTION PRIOR TO LNDG. I CONFESS TO BEING MORE THAN A LITTLE LAX IN THIS AREA, WHICH IS EVEN WORSE IN THIS CASE BECAUSE I HAVE ONLY BEEN TO GON ONCE BEFORE DURING THE LAST 4 YRS. I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS A MORE RIGOROUS PART OF MY OWN PROCS IN THE FUTURE. I SUSPECTED THAT EVEN IF THE TWR CTLRS ARE AWARE OF THIS RESTR, THEY ARE PROBABLY UNAWARE OF THE SIZE OF OUR ACFT. IN ANY EVENT, THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE PLT(S).

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.