Narrative:

Both aircraft landed short of the ski strip. They touched down in the gravel area between the ski strip and runway 1R. The aircraft were not damaged and I doubt that the pilots even knew they landed prior to the threshold. These events were actually separate; I combined them in this report for my convenience. This is a very common occurrence because the area between the runways is of the same material as the ski strip. I recommend that grass be planted in the area between the ski strip and runway 1R.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is concerned that aircraft which use this runway; usually tundra tire equipped STOL bush type aircraft; might have a collision hazard with taxiing aircraft crossing the end of runway 1R at taxiway T. He advises nearly all pilots who are unfamiliar with the technical layout of the runway will land in the area short of the threshold to minimize taxi to the ramp. Controllers are unwilling to charge violations for doing so because of the exactly similar appearance of that area to the actual runway surface. He stated it is like a speed trap designed to lure unsuspecting pilots into a deviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT CTLR AT FAI RPTS ACFT ARE LNDG IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE END OF RWY 1R AND THE THRESHOLD OF THE GRAVEL 'SKI STRIP' RWY 1 WHICH IS SHORTLY BEYOND AND IN LINE WITH RWY 1R. THERE ARE NO SURFACE MARKINGS INDICATING THE BEGINNING OF RWY 1.

Narrative: BOTH ACFT LANDED SHORT OF THE SKI STRIP. THEY TOUCHED DOWN IN THE GRAVEL AREA BETWEEN THE SKI STRIP AND RWY 1R. THE ACFT WERE NOT DAMAGED AND I DOUBT THAT THE PLTS EVEN KNEW THEY LANDED PRIOR TO THE THRESHOLD. THESE EVENTS WERE ACTUALLY SEPARATE; I COMBINED THEM IN THIS RPT FOR MY CONVENIENCE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE BECAUSE THE AREA BETWEEN THE RWYS IS OF THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE SKI STRIP. I RECOMMEND THAT GRASS BE PLANTED IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE SKI STRIP AND RWY 1R.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT ACFT WHICH USE THIS RWY; USUALLY TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED STOL BUSH TYPE ACFT; MIGHT HAVE A COLLISION HAZARD WITH TAXIING ACFT CROSSING THE END OF RWY 1R AT TXWY T. HE ADVISES NEARLY ALL PLTS WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TECHNICAL LAYOUT OF THE RWY WILL LAND IN THE AREA SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD TO MINIMIZE TAXI TO THE RAMP. CTLRS ARE UNWILLING TO CHARGE VIOLATIONS FOR DOING SO BECAUSE OF THE EXACTLY SIMILAR APPEARANCE OF THAT AREA TO THE ACTUAL RWY SURFACE. HE STATED IT IS LIKE A SPEED TRAP DESIGNED TO LURE UNSUSPECTING PLTS INTO A DEVIATION.

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.