Narrative:

The leg from sjc to rno was to be our last leg for the night. After arriving in sjc, we were informed by the operations agent that both of the active runways (16R/left) in rno were closed. I immediately contacted dispatch to confirm the status of rno's runways. Dispatch confirmed what the operations agent said and told me that it would be approximately 45 mins until the runway opened. About the time the last passenger had deplaned, the operations agent informed me that he had heard that rno was landing aircraft on runway 7. Dispatch not only confirmed it, but when I asked if I was good to go, they replied yes without any hesitation. On the arrival, the performance computer was used per normal operations and it showed that runway 7 was usable with medium braking required. We were offered runway 25 a few times, but I thought runway 7 would be safer because it was nighttime and I had never landed on runway 7 or runway 25 in rno. From the VFR pictorial I felt that the terrain for the visual landing would be safer especially at night using runway 7. We executed a normal VFR approach and landing to a full stop on runway 6. What happened? I should have referenced the 10-7 page! We are not authority/authorized to operate on runway 7 where was dispatch on this one? A little familiarity with the 10-7 page could have helped me. Most of all, why in the world does the performance computer not have a note next to runway 7 pointing me to reference the 10-7 page? Being geared to the fact that if the performance parameters are met by the performance computer then we are permitted to land on that runway. I would not have departed knowing that we were not permitted to land on runway 7 at rno! I still don't know why we cannot land on runway 7 and I would be curious to know why runway 25 is an authority/authorized runway. In my humble opinion I feel that runway 7 would be a safer runway to land on in VFR conditions at night. It was my fault that we landed on runway 7. I just feel that a few red flag, ie, dispatch and the performance computer, could have helped to avert this situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that he is very comfortable with the use of the laptop performance computer as a primary source of takeoff and landing data. He does plan to reinforce with his company the desirability to include in the 'notes' section available for runways in the database a notation as to runway restrs to emergency conditions only. He strongly emphasized his displeasure at being led astray by the dispatcher's casual assurance that the flight was 'good to go' based on a planned landing on a runway they were not authority/authorized to use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B733, DEPENDING ON COMPANY SUPPLIED LAPTOP COMPUTER FOR LNDG PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS, LANDS ON RWY 7 AT RNO ALTHOUGH PROHIBITED EXCEPT UNDER EMER CONDITIONS BY COMPANY POLICY. FAILURE OF DISPATCH TO ADVISE OF THE PROHIBITION WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: THE LEG FROM SJC TO RNO WAS TO BE OUR LAST LEG FOR THE NIGHT. AFTER ARRIVING IN SJC, WE WERE INFORMED BY THE OPS AGENT THAT BOTH OF THE ACTIVE RWYS (16R/L) IN RNO WERE CLOSED. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED DISPATCH TO CONFIRM THE STATUS OF RNO'S RWYS. DISPATCH CONFIRMED WHAT THE OPS AGENT SAID AND TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE APPROX 45 MINS UNTIL THE RWY OPENED. ABOUT THE TIME THE LAST PAX HAD DEPLANED, THE OPS AGENT INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD HEARD THAT RNO WAS LNDG ACFT ON RWY 7. DISPATCH NOT ONLY CONFIRMED IT, BUT WHEN I ASKED IF I WAS GOOD TO GO, THEY REPLIED YES WITHOUT ANY HESITATION. ON THE ARR, THE PERFORMANCE COMPUTER WAS USED PER NORMAL OPS AND IT SHOWED THAT RWY 7 WAS USABLE WITH MEDIUM BRAKING REQUIRED. WE WERE OFFERED RWY 25 A FEW TIMES, BUT I THOUGHT RWY 7 WOULD BE SAFER BECAUSE IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND I HAD NEVER LANDED ON RWY 7 OR RWY 25 IN RNO. FROM THE VFR PICTORIAL I FELT THAT THE TERRAIN FOR THE VISUAL LNDG WOULD BE SAFER ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT USING RWY 7. WE EXECUTED A NORMAL VFR APCH AND LNDG TO A FULL STOP ON RWY 6. WHAT HAPPENED? I SHOULD HAVE REFED THE 10-7 PAGE! WE ARE NOT AUTH TO OPERATE ON RWY 7 WHERE WAS DISPATCH ON THIS ONE? A LITTLE FAMILIARITY WITH THE 10-7 PAGE COULD HAVE HELPED ME. MOST OF ALL, WHY IN THE WORLD DOES THE PERFORMANCE COMPUTER NOT HAVE A NOTE NEXT TO RWY 7 POINTING ME TO REF THE 10-7 PAGE? BEING GEARED TO THE FACT THAT IF THE PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS ARE MET BY THE PERFORMANCE COMPUTER THEN WE ARE PERMITTED TO LAND ON THAT RWY. I WOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED KNOWING THAT WE WERE NOT PERMITTED TO LAND ON RWY 7 AT RNO! I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY WE CANNOT LAND ON RWY 7 AND I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY RWY 25 IS AN AUTH RWY. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION I FEEL THAT RWY 7 WOULD BE A SAFER RWY TO LAND ON IN VFR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT. IT WAS MY FAULT THAT WE LANDED ON RWY 7. I JUST FEEL THAT A FEW RED FLAG, IE, DISPATCH AND THE PERFORMANCE COMPUTER, COULD HAVE HELPED TO AVERT THIS SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT HE IS VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE USE OF THE LAPTOP PERFORMANCE COMPUTER AS A PRIMARY SOURCE OF TKOF AND LNDG DATA. HE DOES PLAN TO REINFORCE WITH HIS COMPANY THE DESIRABILITY TO INCLUDE IN THE 'NOTES' SECTION AVAILABLE FOR RWYS IN THE DATABASE A NOTATION AS TO RWY RESTRS TO EMER CONDITIONS ONLY. HE STRONGLY EMPHASIZED HIS DISPLEASURE AT BEING LED ASTRAY BY THE DISPATCHER'S CASUAL ASSURANCE THAT THE FLT WAS 'GOOD TO GO' BASED ON A PLANNED LNDG ON A RWY THEY WERE NOT AUTH TO USE.

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.