Narrative:

A problem arose during taxiing; because of an in-date but incorrect (factually obsolete) airport diagram. By the afternoon; a constant; strong wind from the north necessitated the use of runway 5 (AWOS was inexplicably saying 'variable'). Back-taxiing on 5 was untenable as demonstrated by one light airplane having landed short and turning to back-taxi while another; apparently without a radio on the CTAF; was on short final. It appears as if more than one pilot was uncertain how to access or return to the takeoff end of runway 5; and this was a potential safety issue. I had been parked off bravo. I announced on the unicom that I was taxiing runway 5 via bravo and received no response (and I did not anticipate one). In retrospect; my announcement was ambiguous because 1) I did not know the designation of the next taxiway (charlie) I would need to take to reach runway 5; and 2) bravo intersects runways 5-23 near the runway 23 end. I crossed the closed runway to taxiway charlie; whereupon I could look west into the setting sun. I then saw one airplane parked in the grass with its propeller jutting onto the taxiway; and farther down by the terminal; there were cones across the taxiway. So I got back on the unicom and; now knowing the taxiway was charlie; asked if charlie was closed. I was told that I'd 'gone about as far as [I] could legally go' whereupon I made a mental note to file this ASRS report. I was instructed to access runway 5 via bravo and delta. I turned around and went north on bravo; crossing runways 9-27 again. But my knowledge of the airport is limited and the airport diagram on my up-to-date instrument charts shows no connection between bravo and delta. In retrospect; what the other party on the unicom must have meant was to taxi bravo-alpha-delta-charlie to the takeoff end of runway 5 (crossing runways 9-27 at delta/charlie instead of bravo/charlie). What is missing from the diagram is that alpha has been extended parallel to runways 5-23 to connect bravo and delta; a change that was apparent having reached the intersection of the alpha and bravo taxiways and finding it a 4-WAY intersection. Still; with the low-angle sun glare; I had to take care that I was not taxiing on to the active runway. I taxied via new-alpha to delta; queried traffic via the unicom; and made an intersection departure on runway 5 at delta. This was a more-than-comfortable remaining runway length for my STOL aircraft. I prefer full-length for safety; but given the ambiguous status of the taxiways I did not want to revisit runways 9-27 and charlie. Having paid significant sums over the years to keep my charts current; I was fully expecting the information as published to be up-to-date and do not understand why the airport diagram is badly obsolete. In my opinion; slk's runways; taxiways; aircraft parking; terminal and deice facilities have now reached a level of complexity to justify an airport diagram including taxiway identifications; and representing the facilities as they now exist. One last thing. The FBO should know better than to interrupt an aircraft on its takeoff roll to ask if the pilot is paid up. There are ample opportunities at less-critical flight phases to make that query.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PILOT NOTES THAT SLK AIRPORT COMMERCIAL CHARTS ARE OUT OF DATE REGARDING TAXIWAY DEPICTION.

Narrative: A PROBLEM AROSE DURING TAXIING; BECAUSE OF AN IN-DATE BUT INCORRECT (FACTUALLY OBSOLETE) AIRPORT DIAGRAM. BY THE AFTERNOON; A CONSTANT; STRONG WIND FROM THE NORTH NECESSITATED THE USE OF RUNWAY 5 (AWOS WAS INEXPLICABLY SAYING 'VARIABLE'). BACK-TAXIING ON 5 WAS UNTENABLE AS DEMONSTRATED BY ONE LIGHT AIRPLANE HAVING LANDED SHORT AND TURNING TO BACK-TAXI WHILE ANOTHER; APPARENTLY WITHOUT A RADIO ON THE CTAF; WAS ON SHORT FINAL. IT APPEARS AS IF MORE THAN ONE PILOT WAS UNCERTAIN HOW TO ACCESS OR RETURN TO THE TAKEOFF END OF RUNWAY 5; AND THIS WAS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. I HAD BEEN PARKED OFF BRAVO. I ANNOUNCED ON THE UNICOM THAT I WAS TAXIING RWY 5 VIA BRAVO AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE (AND I DID NOT ANTICIPATE ONE). IN RETROSPECT; MY ANNOUNCEMENT WAS AMBIGUOUS BECAUSE 1) I DID NOT KNOW THE DESIGNATION OF THE NEXT TAXIWAY (CHARLIE) I WOULD NEED TO TAKE TO REACH RWY 5; AND 2) BRAVO INTERSECTS RWYS 5-23 NEAR THE RWY 23 END. I CROSSED THE CLOSED RUNWAY TO TAXIWAY CHARLIE; WHEREUPON I COULD LOOK WEST INTO THE SETTING SUN. I THEN SAW ONE AIRPLANE PARKED IN THE GRASS WITH ITS PROPELLER JUTTING ONTO THE TAXIWAY; AND FARTHER DOWN BY THE TERMINAL; THERE WERE CONES ACROSS THE TAXIWAY. SO I GOT BACK ON THE UNICOM AND; NOW KNOWING THE TAXIWAY WAS CHARLIE; ASKED IF CHARLIE WAS CLOSED. I WAS TOLD THAT I'D 'GONE ABOUT AS FAR AS [I] COULD LEGALLY GO' WHEREUPON I MADE A MENTAL NOTE TO FILE THIS ASRS REPORT. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ACCESS RWY 5 VIA BRAVO AND DELTA. I TURNED AROUND AND WENT NORTH ON BRAVO; CROSSING RWYS 9-27 AGAIN. BUT MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE AIRPORT IS LIMITED AND THE AIRPORT DIAGRAM ON MY UP-TO-DATE INSTRUMENT CHARTS SHOWS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN BRAVO AND DELTA. IN RETROSPECT; WHAT THE OTHER PARTY ON THE UNICOM MUST HAVE MEANT WAS TO TAXI BRAVO-ALPHA-DELTA-CHARLIE TO THE TAKEOFF END OF RWY 5 (CROSSING RWYS 9-27 AT DELTA/CHARLIE INSTEAD OF BRAVO/CHARLIE). WHAT IS MISSING FROM THE DIAGRAM IS THAT ALPHA HAS BEEN EXTENDED PARALLEL TO RWYS 5-23 TO CONNECT BRAVO AND DELTA; A CHANGE THAT WAS APPARENT HAVING REACHED THE INTERSECTION OF THE ALPHA AND BRAVO TAXIWAYS AND FINDING IT A 4-WAY INTERSECTION. STILL; WITH THE LOW-ANGLE SUN GLARE; I HAD TO TAKE CARE THAT I WAS NOT TAXIING ON TO THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. I TAXIED VIA NEW-ALPHA TO DELTA; QUERIED TRAFFIC VIA THE UNICOM; AND MADE AN INTERSECTION DEPARTURE ON RWY 5 AT DELTA. THIS WAS A MORE-THAN-COMFORTABLE REMAINING RUNWAY LENGTH FOR MY STOL AIRCRAFT. I PREFER FULL-LENGTH FOR SAFETY; BUT GIVEN THE AMBIGUOUS STATUS OF THE TAXIWAYS I DID NOT WANT TO REVISIT RWYS 9-27 AND CHARLIE. HAVING PAID SIGNIFICANT SUMS OVER THE YEARS TO KEEP MY CHARTS CURRENT; I WAS FULLY EXPECTING THE INFORMATION AS PUBLISHED TO BE UP-TO-DATE AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE AIRPORT DIAGRAM IS BADLY OBSOLETE. IN MY OPINION; SLK'S RUNWAYS; TAXIWAYS; AIRCRAFT PARKING; TERMINAL AND DEICE FACILITIES HAVE NOW REACHED A LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY TO JUSTIFY AN AIRPORT DIAGRAM INCLUDING TAXIWAY IDENTIFICATIONS; AND REPRESENTING THE FACILITIES AS THEY NOW EXIST. ONE LAST THING. THE FBO SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO INTERRUPT AN AIRCRAFT ON ITS TAKEOFF ROLL TO ASK IF THE PILOT IS PAID UP. THERE ARE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES AT LESS-CRITICAL FLIGHT PHASES TO MAKE THAT QUERY.

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.