Pilot in C340 landing runway 17 at gpm could not see markings for displaced threshold.

Attributes
ACN	528971
Time
Date	200110
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gpm.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 340/340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	528971
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

Tower reported displaced threshold, 1500 ft, on downwind, base and final, could not identify displaced threshold markings on runway. Estimated 1500 ft on short final and planned approach and landing appropriately. On flare I held power and continued searching for displaced runway markings, and seeing nothing I began to fear that the safety of my landing was being affected by the search for these markings at which time I landed the aircraft and was told by the tower that I had landed short of the displaced threshold line. I called the tower controller and discussed that I felt the poor markings were a safety hazard and he agreed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he had expected to see markings on the runway surface while landing on runway 17. He said, after talking to the controller on the telephone, he learned that the markings consisted of two large beams painted orange and white located in the grass area along side the runway. He also said the tower controller agreed the markings were hard to see.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN C340 LNDG RWY 17 AT GPM COULD NOT SEE MARKINGS FOR DISPLACED THRESHOLD.

Narrative: TWR RPTED DISPLACED THRESHOLD, 1500 FT, ON DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL, COULD NOT IDENTIFY DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKINGS ON RWY. ESTIMATED 1500 FT ON SHORT FINAL AND PLANNED APCH AND LNDG APPROPRIATELY. ON FLARE I HELD POWER AND CONTINUED SEARCHING FOR DISPLACED RWY MARKINGS, AND SEEING NOTHING I BEGAN TO FEAR THAT THE SAFETY OF MY LNDG WAS BEING AFFECTED BY THE SEARCH FOR THESE MARKINGS AT WHICH TIME I LANDED THE ACFT AND WAS TOLD BY THE TWR THAT I HAD LANDED SHORT OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD LINE. I CALLED THE TWR CTLR AND DISCUSSED THAT I FELT THE POOR MARKINGS WERE A SAFETY HAZARD AND HE AGREED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE HAD EXPECTED TO SEE MARKINGS ON THE RWY SURFACE WHILE LNDG ON RWY 17. HE SAID, AFTER TALKING TO THE CTLR ON THE TELEPHONE, HE LEARNED THAT THE MARKINGS CONSISTED OF TWO LARGE BEAMS PAINTED ORANGE AND WHITE LOCATED IN THE GRASS AREA ALONG SIDE THE RWY. HE ALSO SAID THE TWR CTLR AGREED THE MARKINGS WERE HARD TO SEE.

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.