Narrative:

I just got a message from my employer. Please be aware that the air carrier is 'extremely' concerned about 5 separate incidents in the last 2 weeks regarding cargo aircraft landing on runway 10/28 and missing the 'last exit off the runway;' name taxiway K. The latest was as recent as this morning. 4 of the aircraft have been international flag carriers; 1 was a domestic flag carrier flying charter. In addition to renaming the runway (formerly runway 9R/27L) in july; the runway is now 1200 ft shorter (8900 ft versus 10100 ft) due to construction work on the displaced threshold. All of this information has been properly disseminated to the flight operations departments via NOTAMS and bulletins -- but these arriving crews are not getting the message. In 1 case; the runway had to be closed for 23 mins while the offending aircraft was towed out of the end of the runway. The message was a bit late for me. I have just flown into ord yesterday and requested runway 28 -- in our experience -- the longest available. I was surprised to see that the runway was called runway 28 now -- it used to be runway 27L -- but I saw a note on the ord airport charts explaining that runway 27L has been relabeled as runway 28. I looked at the NOTAMS (8-10 pages of them) provided with the flight plan and WX document; but apparently completely overlooked the one(south) about the runway being renumbered and/or shortened. The flight engineer copied the ATIS for us and printed the landing performance data (using the computer program that we use). He made no mention of the runway being shortened or about any other unusual conditions on the field -- either the ATIS did not mention them or he missed them. Performance data still said runway 27L -- but as far as we knew only the runway label was different. On short final the tower told us 'oh; just be advised the last active taxiway for exiting runway is taxiway K -- if you miss it; you will need to make a 180 degree turn or get towed off the runway.' I told the crew that we still were planning to use the whole available runway; since this is what we computed performance for and briefed. I used medium autobrakes and aggressive reverse thrust and slowed down the aircraft with plenty of room left to exit via taxiway K; so it all worked out. But in retrospect; I am not sure if we had the correct landing performance numbers; since I was not aware of the NOTAM that the runway is shortened. The root of the problem lies in how we get the NOTAMS. We get a stack of paper -- few to dozens of pages; filled with endless numbers of NOTAMS in abbreviated english. 99+% of them have no operational significance. The majority of pilots do not even look at them most of the time. There must be a safer way of doing this. Flight following department -- instead of just dumping the mass of NOTAMS in our laps -- could review them and separate the critical/pertinent ones from the sea of chaff. Or the critical ones could be reprinted on page 1 of the dispatch release/flight plan -- to catch our attention. The current way of dealing with NOTAMS in the cockpit is an accident waiting to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-200 LANDS ON RWY 28 AT ORD UNAWARE IT HAD BEEN SHORTENED FOR CONSTRUCTION.

Narrative: I JUST GOT A MESSAGE FROM MY EMPLOYER. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE ACR IS 'EXTREMELY' CONCERNED ABOUT 5 SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN THE LAST 2 WKS REGARDING CARGO ACFT LNDG ON RWY 10/28 AND MISSING THE 'LAST EXIT OFF THE RWY;' NAME TXWY K. THE LATEST WAS AS RECENT AS THIS MORNING. 4 OF THE ACFT HAVE BEEN INTL FLAG CARRIERS; 1 WAS A DOMESTIC FLAG CARRIER FLYING CHARTER. IN ADDITION TO RENAMING THE RWY (FORMERLY RWY 9R/27L) IN JULY; THE RWY IS NOW 1200 FT SHORTER (8900 FT VERSUS 10100 FT) DUE TO CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. ALL OF THIS INFO HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISSEMINATED TO THE FLT OPS DEPTS VIA NOTAMS AND BULLETINS -- BUT THESE ARRIVING CREWS ARE NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE. IN 1 CASE; THE RWY HAD TO BE CLOSED FOR 23 MINS WHILE THE OFFENDING ACFT WAS TOWED OUT OF THE END OF THE RWY. THE MESSAGE WAS A BIT LATE FOR ME. I HAVE JUST FLOWN INTO ORD YESTERDAY AND REQUESTED RWY 28 -- IN OUR EXPERIENCE -- THE LONGEST AVAILABLE. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THE RWY WAS CALLED RWY 28 NOW -- IT USED TO BE RWY 27L -- BUT I SAW A NOTE ON THE ORD ARPT CHARTS EXPLAINING THAT RWY 27L HAS BEEN RELABELED AS RWY 28. I LOOKED AT THE NOTAMS (8-10 PAGES OF THEM) PROVIDED WITH THE FLT PLAN AND WX DOCUMENT; BUT APPARENTLY COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED THE ONE(S) ABOUT THE RWY BEING RENUMBERED AND/OR SHORTENED. THE FE COPIED THE ATIS FOR US AND PRINTED THE LNDG PERFORMANCE DATA (USING THE COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT WE USE). HE MADE NO MENTION OF THE RWY BEING SHORTENED OR ABOUT ANY OTHER UNUSUAL CONDITIONS ON THE FIELD -- EITHER THE ATIS DID NOT MENTION THEM OR HE MISSED THEM. PERFORMANCE DATA STILL SAID RWY 27L -- BUT AS FAR AS WE KNEW ONLY THE RWY LABEL WAS DIFFERENT. ON SHORT FINAL THE TWR TOLD US 'OH; JUST BE ADVISED THE LAST ACTIVE TXWY FOR EXITING RWY IS TXWY K -- IF YOU MISS IT; YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN OR GET TOWED OFF THE RWY.' I TOLD THE CREW THAT WE STILL WERE PLANNING TO USE THE WHOLE AVAILABLE RWY; SINCE THIS IS WHAT WE COMPUTED PERFORMANCE FOR AND BRIEFED. I USED MEDIUM AUTOBRAKES AND AGGRESSIVE REVERSE THRUST AND SLOWED DOWN THE ACFT WITH PLENTY OF ROOM LEFT TO EXIT VIA TXWY K; SO IT ALL WORKED OUT. BUT IN RETROSPECT; I AM NOT SURE IF WE HAD THE CORRECT LNDG PERFORMANCE NUMBERS; SINCE I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE NOTAM THAT THE RWY IS SHORTENED. THE ROOT OF THE PROB LIES IN HOW WE GET THE NOTAMS. WE GET A STACK OF PAPER -- FEW TO DOZENS OF PAGES; FILLED WITH ENDLESS NUMBERS OF NOTAMS IN ABBREVIATED ENGLISH. 99+% OF THEM HAVE NO OPERATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE. THE MAJORITY OF PLTS DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT THEM MOST OF THE TIME. THERE MUST BE A SAFER WAY OF DOING THIS. FLT FOLLOWING DEPT -- INSTEAD OF JUST DUMPING THE MASS OF NOTAMS IN OUR LAPS -- COULD REVIEW THEM AND SEPARATE THE CRITICAL/PERTINENT ONES FROM THE SEA OF CHAFF. OR THE CRITICAL ONES COULD BE REPRINTED ON PAGE 1 OF THE DISPATCH RELEASE/FLT PLAN -- TO CATCH OUR ATTN. THE CURRENT WAY OF DEALING WITH NOTAMS IN THE COCKPIT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.