Narrative:

The purpose of this report is to point out what I believe is a very marginally safe operation. This flight is operated with a B767-200ER most of the time. The normal departure runway is runway 16. The airport page shows a runway length of 12139 ft. There is a displaced threshold approximately 2700 ft from the end of the runway that is used for runway 34 lndgs. This particular flight was planned for flaps 1 degree, maximum input takeoff. Wind was 250 degrees at 2 KTS, temperature 6 degrees C, dry runway. V1 was 171 KTS. Load close-out showed takeoff 349652 pounds, zero fuel weight 235222 pounds, fob 114430 pounds, 154 passenger including 4 children. Runway lineup was as close to the end of the concrete as possible. Power was set to maximum-input prior to brake release. V1 occurred approximately 800 ft from displaced threshold and lift-off occurred just beyond it. I believe that based on the V1 location, there was no chance of stopping the aircraft on the remaining concrete. Several factors enter into my thinking. 1) the location where V1 occurs is the touchdown zone for runway 34 and is contaminated with rubber deposits. 2) the last 2000 ft is not grooved and there are frequently wet runway conditions. 3) stopping the aircraft from 171 KTS in slightly more than 3000 ft under perfect conditions is doubtful. This operation works as long as everything goes perfectly. However, if the runway is wet, the wind swings around to a tailwind, the engines are not run up to takeoff power prior to brake release or the final load is off on the low side, this is a potential disaster. My limited experience into zrh and my discussions with my contemporaries indicates that it is not unusual for the wind to vary considerably in its direction in a matter of moments. Thus, a sudden tailwind on takeoff roll is possible. I am not comfortable flying this departure under the present conditions with a B767-200. I have not found anyone else comfortable either. Maybe it is time to have some of the engineering folks who do the calculations pertaining to takeoff performance to ride along in the jump seat and observe first hand what this operation looks like. It might open a few eyes to real world flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-200 ACFT AT MAX TKOF WT, USING FLAPS 1 DEG -- IMPROVED, RPTR CAPT SAYS THAT AT V1 SPD THERE WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATE RWY REMAINING FOR AN ABORT. ALSO, ANY WATER OR WET RWY WOULD MAKE CONDITIONS WORSE.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO POINT OUT WHAT I BELIEVE IS A VERY MARGINALLY SAFE OP. THIS FLT IS OPERATED WITH A B767-200ER MOST OF THE TIME. THE NORMAL DEP RWY IS RWY 16. THE ARPT PAGE SHOWS A RWY LENGTH OF 12139 FT. THERE IS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD APPROX 2700 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY THAT IS USED FOR RWY 34 LNDGS. THIS PARTICULAR FLT WAS PLANNED FOR FLAPS 1 DEG, MAX INPUT TKOF. WIND WAS 250 DEGS AT 2 KTS, TEMP 6 DEGS C, DRY RWY. V1 WAS 171 KTS. LOAD CLOSE-OUT SHOWED TKOF 349652 LBS, ZERO FUEL WT 235222 LBS, FOB 114430 LBS, 154 PAX INCLUDING 4 CHILDREN. RWY LINEUP WAS AS CLOSE TO THE END OF THE CONCRETE AS POSSIBLE. PWR WAS SET TO MAX-INPUT PRIOR TO BRAKE RELEASE. V1 OCCURRED APPROX 800 FT FROM DISPLACED THRESHOLD AND LIFT-OFF OCCURRED JUST BEYOND IT. I BELIEVE THAT BASED ON THE V1 LOCATION, THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF STOPPING THE ACFT ON THE REMAINING CONCRETE. SEVERAL FACTORS ENTER INTO MY THINKING. 1) THE LOCATION WHERE V1 OCCURS IS THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE FOR RWY 34 AND IS CONTAMINATED WITH RUBBER DEPOSITS. 2) THE LAST 2000 FT IS NOT GROOVED AND THERE ARE FREQUENTLY WET RWY CONDITIONS. 3) STOPPING THE ACFT FROM 171 KTS IN SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 3000 FT UNDER PERFECT CONDITIONS IS DOUBTFUL. THIS OP WORKS AS LONG AS EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY. HOWEVER, IF THE RWY IS WET, THE WIND SWINGS AROUND TO A TAILWIND, THE ENGS ARE NOT RUN UP TO TKOF PWR PRIOR TO BRAKE RELEASE OR THE FINAL LOAD IS OFF ON THE LOW SIDE, THIS IS A POTENTIAL DISASTER. MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE INTO ZRH AND MY DISCUSSIONS WITH MY CONTEMPORARIES INDICATES THAT IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE WIND TO VARY CONSIDERABLY IN ITS DIRECTION IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS. THUS, A SUDDEN TAILWIND ON TKOF ROLL IS POSSIBLE. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE FLYING THIS DEP UNDER THE PRESENT CONDITIONS WITH A B767-200. I HAVE NOT FOUND ANYONE ELSE COMFORTABLE EITHER. MAYBE IT IS TIME TO HAVE SOME OF THE ENGINEERING FOLKS WHO DO THE CALCULATIONS PERTAINING TO TKOF PERFORMANCE TO RIDE ALONG IN THE JUMP SEAT AND OBSERVE FIRST HAND WHAT THIS OP LOOKS LIKE. IT MIGHT OPEN A FEW EYES TO REAL WORLD FLYING.

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.