This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
On final with a student to Runway 19L at Brunswick Executive Airport (KBXM) in Maine. The FBO has placed a grass strip between the active runway and the main taxiway, Alpha, which parallels Runway 19L and 01R.
A3 intersects 19L and Alpha and is about midfield. The grass strip is located between A2 and A3 between 19L and Alpha.
Landing was full stop and we usually taxi off 19L on to A3 to clear the runway and perform after landing checklist before proceeding.
My concern was a grass strip user behind us.
The grass strip ends just before A3 and in the event of a botched landing or overshoot, he would broadside my aircraft as it sat on A3.
I broadcast my intentions to use A3 as a taxiway while on final. Got no response from the grass strip aircraft, so instructed the student to perform a short field landing and was able to turn off A2 before the grass strip guy landed and crossed over to the FBO ramp to taxi back rather than use Taxiway Alpha to avoid being in close proximity to a landing aircraft.
The grass strip was put in place last year unannounced and is not NOTAM’d. It presents a hazard using parallel operations within feet of other aircraft, including solo students.
Primary Problem: Airport
ACN: 2237634
When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”
You folks must be flying with your spouse.😂
I usually, after the required maneuvers are completed, have CFI applicants climb to altitude, slow to rotation speed and then, as I’m blathering on about aircraft control, etc….pull an engine to idle and tell them runway is behind us and 1000’ below. See if you can make it.
They seldom do.
“The grass strip ends just before A3 and in the event of a botched landing or overshoot, he would broadside my aircraft as it sat on A3.” Unless there’s some special approved procedure, at a non-towered field, there’s no requirement to stop after crossing the holding position lines. The taxi can be continued past that point even to the parking area and the after landing checklist completed there. Sometimes the procedure to stop at towered fields is taken a little too far. At the towered field where I flew, at times the traffic landing was so congested that taxi instructions would be given by tower before the airplane cleared the runway. When some pilots continued to stop clear of the runway to execute the after landing checklist after getting the taxi instructions, a meeting was held with ATC and the airport manager where it was clarified that stopping clear of the runway was creating serious spacing problems for landing traffic and that they should continue taxi to the ramp when the taxi instructions have been given where they could execute the after landing checklist. Just to clarify, at a towered field, if no taxi instructions are given by ATC, then the pilot must stop immediately after clearing the runway.
Stopping on A3 to perform the after landing check list seems to be the actual problem since you would be blocking the exit for both runways. Better to taxi clear before stopping at a non- towered airport. Airport etiquette should be taught, but unfortunately seldom is…
I base one of my airplanes at an airport in Oregon with a parallel grass runway and we have no problems. Flight Schools use it often to give students experience on grass and locals often takeoff on the pavement and land on the grass. My 1929 Biplane is most happy on the grass!
Here in Northern California I know of only one GA airport with a charted grass/turf runway; Columbia, O22.
My home airport specifies in the notes that aircraft are to use the paved runways only.
Additionally , one of the insurance companies that I used specified use on paved runways only.
Really? Many airports have this set up without a problem and have had this setup for decades. Like Clair said, you just announce it and use it like the main runway. CFIs that think everything has to look like an international airport really need to get a wider experience. If you are worried about botched or overshoot landings, it’s all over the airport on that one.
I usually land on the grass when gusty cross winds. It is mowed and plenty room between runway and field crop. I would announce “Landing runway xx right side on grass”. Has worked out well for many years on our home airport.
Great point.
This is my favorite non-towered airport debate-starting topic; right after pattern entries, radio & call sign usage, right-of-way issues, VFR straight-ins, practice instrument approach issues, “cowboy” behavior, etc…:
There is no FAA regulatory requirement to use a “runway”…
Think of all the accidents that result from a pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during landing because the wind direction &/or velocity exceeded their capabilities.
Yet, they had acres of open space, in every direction, that they could’ve used…safely…to their advantage.
Responses I usually hear: That would be considered “careless and reckless” or “OK only in an emergency”…
(We can then delve deeper into the “impossible turn” discussion where pilots base their decisions on turning around and landing opposite direction on the SAME pavement they departed from…instead of just getting it down safely without hitting something or someone. We’ll save that discussion for later…)
To be clear, I’m not advocating that you always go land “in the grass” with a headwind, when other traffic is using a paved runway that’s got a crosswind. But it doesn’t mean you can’t. Same with landing in the grass parallel to a paved runway.
The other users, the airport management, and your insurance company, might not necessarily approve …but there’re no FAR restrictions against it.