Narrative:

We were on an ILS approach to runway 11 in ketchikan; alaska. The WX was 1200 broken with a 700 foot scattered layer. Visibility was eight miles with light rain. On the day of the flight we received WX and NOTAMS thru ACARS on the FMS. I made a to call to FSS. One call was to FSS station in southern nevada and the other was to the FSS in alaska. I was given current and forecast WX as well as NOTAMS for pakw and pakt. The approach was uneventful until the last 15 seconds. I was on GS and localizer as I approach 200 ft above the ground. I could see an X marking on the end of the runway as I expected because I knew a small portion of the runway was closed. I also noticed some construction type items that were near the taxiway that entered runway 11. From my vantage point; that was where the runway closure seemed to end; so I waited to touch down after that area. From 3 miles out from the runway and until you were over the end of the runway at about 20 to 30 ft; the only centerline markings you could see were bright white small sand bags that were used to mark the new edge of the runway. They looked like the runway centerline. There was not any visible runway centerline for the usable runway until you were on the runway and even then the line was very dim and dull. We did not realize that we were not lined up with the non-visible runway centerline line until we noticed that the bright white line was not paint but something else. I attempted to steer right but we were slow and near touchdown. We hit at least two sand bags on the runway before I could steer back to the usable runway. There was no damage to the airplane or the runway. No one was injured. I read the NOTAM and thought I understood what it was saying. I feel that the NOTAM indicating the narrowing of the runway could have been written better; such as; the runway center line has been moved south the entire length of the runway. Or maybe the north side of the runway is closed and the 75 ft that remains is on the south side only. Or be advised or a caution that the temporary north edge of the runway may look like the centerline. The NOTAM also mentioned non-standard markings. What does that mean? Could they be a bit more clear on what is truly happening at the airport. I don't know the correct language but what was written was somewhat unclear. The real problem here was that the edge markings lured you into following the wrong centerline of the runway regardless of what the NOTAM said. Secondly; there should have been X's along the entire length of the closed north 75 foot edge. Thirdly; the new temporary centerline for the usable runway needed to be brighter and more visible from a distance. It was like there was not a correct centerline. The alaska FSS told me that several airlines had complained about the markings and the poorly written NOTAM. A few days later I heard the FSS advising aircraft to be aware that one side of the runway was closed. That caution was not provided for me. I'm a professional pilot and I should have not made this mistake. However; I did and it was a problem waiting to happen to someone. It happened to be me. I have the final say on whether to land or not to land and to make sure it is safe for all concerned. I feel like I was led down the slippery slope with the way the NOTAM was written as well as the strange centerline or lack of a well marked centerline. It could have all be avoided with a simple caution about the new runway edge not to be confused with the runway centerline. I have learned from this error to ask more questions regarding NOTAMS and not to believe all that I see to be correct without more questioning and understanding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMALL JET CAPT RPTS HITTING SAND BAGS DURING LNDG AT KTN RWY 11; WHICH HAS NOTAM CLOSING NORTH HALF OF RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN ILS APCH TO RWY 11 IN KETCHIKAN; ALASKA. THE WX WAS 1200 BROKEN WITH A 700 FOOT SCATTERED LAYER. VISIBILITY WAS EIGHT MILES WITH LIGHT RAIN. ON THE DAY OF THE FLT WE RECEIVED WX AND NOTAMS THRU ACARS ON THE FMS. I MADE A TO CALL TO FSS. ONE CALL WAS TO FSS STATION IN SOUTHERN NEVADA AND THE OTHER WAS TO THE FSS IN ALASKA. I WAS GIVEN CURRENT AND FORECAST WX AS WELL AS NOTAMS FOR PAKW AND PAKT. THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE LAST 15 SECONDS. I WAS ON GS AND LOCALIZER AS I APCH 200 FT ABOVE THE GND. I COULD SEE AN X MARKING ON THE END OF THE RWY AS I EXPECTED BECAUSE I KNEW A SMALL PORTION OF THE RWY WAS CLOSED. I ALSO NOTICED SOME CONSTRUCTION TYPE ITEMS THAT WERE NEAR THE TXWY THAT ENTERED RWY 11. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT; THAT WAS WHERE THE RWY CLOSURE SEEMED TO END; SO I WAITED TO TOUCH DOWN AFTER THAT AREA. FROM 3 MILES OUT FROM THE RWY AND UNTIL YOU WERE OVER THE END OF THE RWY AT ABOUT 20 TO 30 FT; THE ONLY CENTERLINE MARKINGS YOU COULD SEE WERE BRIGHT WHITE SMALL SAND BAGS THAT WERE USED TO MARK THE NEW EDGE OF THE RWY. THEY LOOKED LIKE THE RWY CENTERLINE. THERE WAS NOT ANY VISIBLE RWY CENTERLINE FOR THE USABLE RWY UNTIL YOU WERE ON THE RWY AND EVEN THEN THE LINE WAS VERY DIM AND DULL. WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE WERE NOT LINED UP WITH THE NON-VISIBLE RWY CENTERLINE LINE UNTIL WE NOTICED THAT THE BRIGHT WHITE LINE WAS NOT PAINT BUT SOMETHING ELSE. I ATTEMPTED TO STEER RIGHT BUT WE WERE SLOW AND NEAR TOUCHDOWN. WE HIT AT LEAST TWO SAND BAGS ON THE RWY BEFORE I COULD STEER BACK TO THE USABLE RWY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE OR THE RWY. NO ONE WAS INJURED. I READ THE NOTAM AND THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS SAYING. I FEEL THAT THE NOTAM INDICATING THE NARROWING OF THE RWY COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BETTER; SUCH AS; THE RWY CENTER LINE HAS BEEN MOVED SOUTH THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RWY. OR MAYBE THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RWY IS CLOSED AND THE 75 FT THAT REMAINS IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE ONLY. OR BE ADVISED OR A CAUTION THAT THE TEMPORARY NORTH EDGE OF THE RWY MAY LOOK LIKE THE CENTERLINE. THE NOTAM ALSO MENTIONED NON-STANDARD MARKINGS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? COULD THEY BE A BIT MORE CLEAR ON WHAT IS TRULY HAPPENING AT THE AIRPORT. I DON'T KNOW THE CORRECT LANGUAGE BUT WHAT WAS WRITTEN WAS SOMEWHAT UNCLEAR. THE REAL PROBLEM HERE WAS THAT THE EDGE MARKINGS LURED YOU INTO FOLLOWING THE WRONG CENTERLINE OF THE RWY REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE NOTAM SAID. SECONDLY; THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN X'S ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE CLOSED NORTH 75 FOOT EDGE. THIRDLY; THE NEW TEMPORARY CENTERLINE FOR THE USABLE RWY NEEDED TO BE BRIGHTER AND MORE VISIBLE FROM A DISTANCE. IT WAS LIKE THERE WAS NOT A CORRECT CENTERLINE. THE ALASKA FSS TOLD ME THAT SEVERAL AIRLINES HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE MARKINGS AND THE POORLY WRITTEN NOTAM. A FEW DAYS LATER I HEARD THE FSS ADVISING ACFT TO BE AWARE THAT ONE SIDE OF THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THAT CAUTION WAS NOT PROVIDED FOR ME. I'M A PROFESSIONAL PLT AND I SHOULD HAVE NOT MADE THIS MISTAKE. HOWEVER; I DID AND IT WAS A PROBLEM WAITING TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE. IT HAPPENED TO BE ME. I HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON WHETHER TO LAND OR NOT TO LAND AND TO MAKE SURE IT IS SAFE FOR ALL CONCERNED. I FEEL LIKE I WAS LED DOWN THE SLIPPERY SLOPE WITH THE WAY THE NOTAM WAS WRITTEN AS WELL AS THE STRANGE CENTERLINE OR LACK OF A WELL MARKED CENTERLINE. IT COULD HAVE ALL BE AVOIDED WITH A SIMPLE CAUTION ABOUT THE NEW RWY EDGE NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE RWY CENTERLINE. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS ERROR TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS REGARDING NOTAMS AND NOT TO BELIEVE ALL THAT I SEE TO BE CORRECT WITHOUT MORE QUESTIONING AND UNDERSTANDING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.