Narrative:

I'm writing this because of a situation that I have found in the NOTAM system. This situation has happened to me twice this summer due to runway expansion going on. The NOTAMS have been posted wrong. The first time I was landing at a little county airport in hvc, ky. The runway NOTAM indicated runway 8 displaced 150 ft. When I landed at the airport, there was a 4 ft ditch across the runway making the last 150 ft closed -- not displaced. The second was at a major reliever airport for dallas, tx, arlington, tx, gky. The NOTAM stated runway 18/36 now 6050 ft long and runway 36 displaced 950 ft. Planning to land on a 5050 ft runway, I had no problem getting into gky. But after talking to the manager at the FBO, I was informed that they marked the displacement with sand bags. So I called the airport office and was informed that the last 950 ft was unusable. I refigured my takeoff distance and adjusted my fuel load to be able to take off of gky. The only reason I found out about the situation was from talking to the FBO manager. This situation could be very dangerous due to the way I had planned to take off. The runway length required was 5600 ft which could have endangered my aircraft and passenger. The FSS personnel taking NOTAM should be sure to ask direct question to the person making the NOTAM to verify key aviation terminology as to displaced, closed, unusable, etc. The FBO mgrs before making NOTAM should verify with the construction personnel to answer this question before making NOTAM or someone may get hurt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MU-300 POINTS OUT POORLY WORDED AND CONFUSING NOTAMS REGARDING DISPLACED THRESHOLDS VERSUS UNUSABLE RWY.

Narrative: I'M WRITING THIS BECAUSE OF A SIT THAT I HAVE FOUND IN THE NOTAM SYS. THIS SIT HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE THIS SUMMER DUE TO RWY EXPANSION GOING ON. THE NOTAMS HAVE BEEN POSTED WRONG. THE FIRST TIME I WAS LNDG AT A LITTLE COUNTY ARPT IN HVC, KY. THE RWY NOTAM INDICATED RWY 8 DISPLACED 150 FT. WHEN I LANDED AT THE ARPT, THERE WAS A 4 FT DITCH ACROSS THE RWY MAKING THE LAST 150 FT CLOSED -- NOT DISPLACED. THE SECOND WAS AT A MAJOR RELIEVER ARPT FOR DALLAS, TX, ARLINGTON, TX, GKY. THE NOTAM STATED RWY 18/36 NOW 6050 FT LONG AND RWY 36 DISPLACED 950 FT. PLANNING TO LAND ON A 5050 FT RWY, I HAD NO PROB GETTING INTO GKY. BUT AFTER TALKING TO THE MGR AT THE FBO, I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY MARKED THE DISPLACEMENT WITH SAND BAGS. SO I CALLED THE ARPT OFFICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE LAST 950 FT WAS UNUSABLE. I REFIGURED MY TKOF DISTANCE AND ADJUSTED MY FUEL LOAD TO BE ABLE TO TAKE OFF OF GKY. THE ONLY REASON I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SIT WAS FROM TALKING TO THE FBO MGR. THIS SIT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE WAY I HAD PLANNED TO TAKE OFF. THE RWY LENGTH REQUIRED WAS 5600 FT WHICH COULD HAVE ENDANGERED MY ACFT AND PAX. THE FSS PERSONNEL TAKING NOTAM SHOULD BE SURE TO ASK DIRECT QUESTION TO THE PERSON MAKING THE NOTAM TO VERIFY KEY AVIATION TERMINOLOGY AS TO DISPLACED, CLOSED, UNUSABLE, ETC. THE FBO MGRS BEFORE MAKING NOTAM SHOULD VERIFY WITH THE CONSTRUCTION PERSONNEL TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION BEFORE MAKING NOTAM OR SOMEONE MAY GET HURT.

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.