Narrative:

I fly a little citation isp based here at plymouth, in, airport -- a city owned and operated facility (C65). Recently a runway change in markings and extension of the displaced threshold has developed a very large safety hazard. While studying the new runway layout and comparing it to the commercial approach chart I found the chart to be incorrectly showing a stopway as part of the usable runway with a turnaround on the east end. The stopway has been freshly painted with chevrons indicating a non taxi area. The city, without FAA approval, installed the turnaround area on a chevroned non taxi area. I have reported the chart error to the chart people. I also reported the error to the city board of aviation commissioners. The boac response was that all the big jets are using turnaround so it must be ok. I called the local FSDO with the boac response and was told that taxiing on the chevroned area will bring a violation. 2 problems exist here. The out of town hawkers, giv, challenger 601, etc, taxi right onto the stopway because there is a turnaround on that area, and it would be impossible to pivot around on a 60 ft wide runway to depart at the threshold. We have no txwys at C65. Everything requires taxiing on the runway for departures. I questioned the hawker 800 captain as to his taxiing onto a chevroned stopway and he said he was unaware of the chevron areas being unavailable for taxiing. The second problem is an airplane, mainly a large airplane, sitting on the stopway, is violating the landing aircraft's object free zone. The landing aircraft's safety margin is reduced should he undershoot the landing threshold. This aircraft also is directly in the FAA's runway protection zone. This is particularly unsafe here at C65 because we have a short runway with high tree obstructions that parallel the runway. We have high crosswind conditions that cause turbulence over the trees that produce windshears of 15+ KTS regularly. A short approach with unexpected windshear could put the landing aircraft in contact with an airplane sitting in the object free area. I have now been informed that the city is just going to take the chevrons off the stopway and paint yellow taxiway lines on the stopway. Now, even the pilots that know what chevrons mean will be sitting in the object free area and runway protection zone. The corrective action, in my opinion, is to install a new turnaround at the end of the usable runway and eliminate the turnaround on the stopway. Enclosed are some drawings that may be of some help in understanding the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA COMPLAINT REGARDING THE MARKINGS OF THE C65 UNCTLED ARPT WHEREIN HE HAD TO GO OVER THE TOP OF A HAWKER EXECUTIVE JET HOLDING ON THE STOP ZONE, AND NO TAXI AREA, WHILE LNDG AT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD.

Narrative: I FLY A LITTLE CITATION ISP BASED HERE AT PLYMOUTH, IN, ARPT -- A CITY OWNED AND OPERATED FACILITY (C65). RECENTLY A RWY CHANGE IN MARKINGS AND EXTENSION OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD HAS DEVELOPED A VERY LARGE SAFETY HAZARD. WHILE STUDYING THE NEW RWY LAYOUT AND COMPARING IT TO THE COMMERCIAL APCH CHART I FOUND THE CHART TO BE INCORRECTLY SHOWING A STOPWAY AS PART OF THE USABLE RWY WITH A TURNAROUND ON THE E END. THE STOPWAY HAS BEEN FRESHLY PAINTED WITH CHEVRONS INDICATING A NON TAXI AREA. THE CITY, WITHOUT FAA APPROVAL, INSTALLED THE TURNAROUND AREA ON A CHEVRONED NON TAXI AREA. I HAVE RPTED THE CHART ERROR TO THE CHART PEOPLE. I ALSO RPTED THE ERROR TO THE CITY BOARD OF AVIATION COMMISSIONERS. THE BOAC RESPONSE WAS THAT ALL THE BIG JETS ARE USING TURNAROUND SO IT MUST BE OK. I CALLED THE LCL FSDO WITH THE BOAC RESPONSE AND WAS TOLD THAT TAXIING ON THE CHEVRONED AREA WILL BRING A VIOLATION. 2 PROBS EXIST HERE. THE OUT OF TOWN HAWKERS, GIV, CHALLENGER 601, ETC, TAXI RIGHT ONTO THE STOPWAY BECAUSE THERE IS A TURNAROUND ON THAT AREA, AND IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO PIVOT AROUND ON A 60 FT WIDE RWY TO DEPART AT THE THRESHOLD. WE HAVE NO TXWYS AT C65. EVERYTHING REQUIRES TAXIING ON THE RWY FOR DEPS. I QUESTIONED THE HAWKER 800 CAPT AS TO HIS TAXIING ONTO A CHEVRONED STOPWAY AND HE SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE CHEVRON AREAS BEING UNAVAILABLE FOR TAXIING. THE SECOND PROB IS AN AIRPLANE, MAINLY A LARGE AIRPLANE, SITTING ON THE STOPWAY, IS VIOLATING THE LNDG ACFT'S OBJECT FREE ZONE. THE LNDG ACFT'S SAFETY MARGIN IS REDUCED SHOULD HE UNDERSHOOT THE LNDG THRESHOLD. THIS ACFT ALSO IS DIRECTLY IN THE FAA'S RWY PROTECTION ZONE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY UNSAFE HERE AT C65 BECAUSE WE HAVE A SHORT RWY WITH HIGH TREE OBSTRUCTIONS THAT PARALLEL THE RWY. WE HAVE HIGH XWIND CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE TURB OVER THE TREES THAT PRODUCE WINDSHEARS OF 15+ KTS REGULARLY. A SHORT APCH WITH UNEXPECTED WINDSHEAR COULD PUT THE LNDG ACFT IN CONTACT WITH AN AIRPLANE SITTING IN THE OBJECT FREE AREA. I HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED THAT THE CITY IS JUST GOING TO TAKE THE CHEVRONS OFF THE STOPWAY AND PAINT YELLOW TXWY LINES ON THE STOPWAY. NOW, EVEN THE PLTS THAT KNOW WHAT CHEVRONS MEAN WILL BE SITTING IN THE OBJECT FREE AREA AND RWY PROTECTION ZONE. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION, IN MY OPINION, IS TO INSTALL A NEW TURNAROUND AT THE END OF THE USABLE RWY AND ELIMINATE THE TURNAROUND ON THE STOPWAY. ENCLOSED ARE SOME DRAWINGS THAT MAY BE OF SOME HELP IN UNDERSTANDING THE SIT.

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.