Narrative:

I flew an air carrier flight from ZZZ to msy. I was initially dispatched to land with 5500 pounds of fuel, but I requested another 2000 pounds when I read the msy NOTAMS, indicating that msy was single runway operations with no approach to the landing runway, runway 28. Additionally, the approach lights and VASI for runway 28 were OTS and the threshold was displaced by 774 ft. We landed in the late afternoon and had a difficult time acquiring the airport in the setting sun. On short final, I was looking for a displaced threshold to land beyond, but saw nothing on the runway except the normal markings. We landed about 2000 ft down the runway and taxied in. Further investigation reveals the following: 1) there is no runway surface marking to identify the displaced threshold. 2) 774 ft from the threshold are 5 orange cones and a yellow flag on each side of the runway, near the easternmost VASI box. Concerns: 1) is this an FAA approved way to mark a displaced runway threshold. 2) the specifics on how the displaced threshold was marked was not in my release paperwork. 3) dispatch, at least on my flight, did not seem to understand the operational considerations for msy single runway operations or the potential difficulties in acquiring the airport in the late afternoon visibility-a-visibility planned fuel on deck.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF MD80 RPTS THAT TEMPORARY DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 28 AT MSY IS NOT ADEQUATELY MARKED.

Narrative: I FLEW AN ACR FLT FROM ZZZ TO MSY. I WAS INITIALLY DISPATCHED TO LAND WITH 5500 LBS OF FUEL, BUT I REQUESTED ANOTHER 2000 LBS WHEN I READ THE MSY NOTAMS, INDICATING THAT MSY WAS SINGLE RWY OPS WITH NO APCH TO THE LNDG RWY, RWY 28. ADDITIONALLY, THE APCH LIGHTS AND VASI FOR RWY 28 WERE OTS AND THE THRESHOLD WAS DISPLACED BY 774 FT. WE LANDED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME ACQUIRING THE ARPT IN THE SETTING SUN. ON SHORT FINAL, I WAS LOOKING FOR A DISPLACED THRESHOLD TO LAND BEYOND, BUT SAW NOTHING ON THE RWY EXCEPT THE NORMAL MARKINGS. WE LANDED ABOUT 2000 FT DOWN THE RWY AND TAXIED IN. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALS THE FOLLOWING: 1) THERE IS NO RWY SURFACE MARKING TO IDENT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. 2) 774 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD ARE 5 ORANGE CONES AND A YELLOW FLAG ON EACH SIDE OF THE RWY, NEAR THE EASTERNMOST VASI BOX. CONCERNS: 1) IS THIS AN FAA APPROVED WAY TO MARK A DISPLACED RWY THRESHOLD. 2) THE SPECIFICS ON HOW THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD WAS MARKED WAS NOT IN MY RELEASE PAPERWORK. 3) DISPATCH, AT LEAST ON MY FLT, DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR MSY SINGLE RWY OPS OR THE POTENTIAL DIFFICULTIES IN ACQUIRING THE ARPT IN THE LATE AFTERNOON VIS-A-VIS PLANNED FUEL ON DECK.

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.