Narrative:

At approximately XA15 on apr/fri/00 I was 3 mi out on a 145 degree heading cleared for a straight in landing to runway 13 at kendall-tamiami executive (tmb) by the tower control. From that direction and altitude of 1500 ft the runway appears to be a perimeter road and the taxiway designated 'D' delta appears to be much wider, and more like a runway. I started to make my approach to the taxiway. Close to the taxiway I noticed there were no numbers at the approach end and initiated a go around. Later the tower instructed me to go around. After the go around, and at the approach end of runway 13, I could see why I mistook it for a perimeter drive. There is a darker asphalt stripe, about the size of a narrow road down the center of the runway and the rest of the paving is much grayer and is not that much different appearing than the adjacent soil. The conditions at the time were good VFR. I feel that if a pilot with over 1000 hours could make this mistake in good WX, what might happen with poor visibility and low experience? I think that aviation needs a standard marking system like white borders on runways similar to the way some asphalt roads are marked. This, I feel, would provide a clrer picture of the runway from a distance. My color vision is good and acuity is corrected to 20/15.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 PVT PLT, LNDG AT TMB, WAS UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH TXWY D FROM RWY 13 UNTIL 50 FT ABOVE THE THRESHOLD.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA15 ON APR/FRI/00 I WAS 3 MI OUT ON A 145 DEG HDG CLRED FOR A STRAIGHT IN LNDG TO RWY 13 AT KENDALL-TAMIAMI EXECUTIVE (TMB) BY THE TWR CTL. FROM THAT DIRECTION AND ALT OF 1500 FT THE RWY APPEARS TO BE A PERIMETER ROAD AND THE TXWY DESIGNATED 'D' DELTA APPEARS TO BE MUCH WIDER, AND MORE LIKE A RWY. I STARTED TO MAKE MY APCH TO THE TXWY. CLOSE TO THE TXWY I NOTICED THERE WERE NO NUMBERS AT THE APCH END AND INITIATED A GAR. LATER THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO GO AROUND. AFTER THE GAR, AND AT THE APCH END OF RWY 13, I COULD SEE WHY I MISTOOK IT FOR A PERIMETER DRIVE. THERE IS A DARKER ASPHALT STRIPE, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NARROW ROAD DOWN THE CTR OF THE RWY AND THE REST OF THE PAVING IS MUCH GRAYER AND IS NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENT APPEARING THAN THE ADJACENT SOIL. THE CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE GOOD VFR. I FEEL THAT IF A PLT WITH OVER 1000 HRS COULD MAKE THIS MISTAKE IN GOOD WX, WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH POOR VISIBILITY AND LOW EXPERIENCE? I THINK THAT AVIATION NEEDS A STANDARD MARKING SYS LIKE WHITE BORDERS ON RWYS SIMILAR TO THE WAY SOME ASPHALT ROADS ARE MARKED. THIS, I FEEL, WOULD PROVIDE A CLRER PICTURE OF THE RWY FROM A DISTANCE. MY COLOR VISION IS GOOD AND ACUITY IS CORRECTED TO 20/15.

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.