Narrative:

Pilot is not based at new orleans and was not familiar with lake front airport. Aircraft had been tied down at FBO ramp. Pilot listened to ATIS prior to engine start. ATIS was only partly readable and pilot could not clearly determine the active runway for departures. Pilot radioed ground controller, gave location and asked for taxi instructions. Pilot advised ground controller that ATIS was only partly readable. Pilot was instructed to taxi to runway 36L. Runway 36L is very close to the FBO ramp. Runway 36L has a displaced threshold for landing aircraft. Pilot taxied as instructed from ramp to taxiway. Pilot did not see and runway threshold markings on taxiway and does not believe proper threshold marking was present. Pilot stopped aircraft prior to crossing single yellow line marking edge of runway 36L with the aforementioned displaced landing threshold. Pilot performed runup and called ground control (prior to switching to tower frequency) to inquire if controllers wanted pilot to taxi aircraft to the landing threshold or not. Ground control informed pilot that aircraft was already on the runway and to contact tower on tower frequency. Pilot complied and was released for takeoff west/O incident. No other traffic was involved. No other aircraft were present in the vicinity of the pilot's aircraft. There were no aircraft landing on 36L at the time. Safety was not compromised. The pilot's concern is that: 1) he believes that this particular runway threshold is not clearly marked as the pilot did not see a runway threshold marking while taxiing from FBO. 2) there could have possible been a compromise in safety if there had been an aircraft landing on 36L and if for some reason this landing aircraft landed short on the south end of runway 36L. The pilot believes that taxiway markings/ground control instructions should be effected more clearly, particularly for transient aircraft to perhaps prevent an incident or accident at this particular location on new. Pilot might have been distracted by poor ATIS reception and the very short distance from FBO to runway 36L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILED TO HOLD SHORT OF DEP RWY 36.

Narrative: PLT IS NOT BASED AT NEW ORLEANS AND WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH LAKE FRONT ARPT. ACFT HAD BEEN TIED DOWN AT FBO RAMP. PLT LISTENED TO ATIS PRIOR TO ENG START. ATIS WAS ONLY PARTLY READABLE AND PLT COULD NOT CLEARLY DETERMINE THE ACTIVE RWY FOR DEPS. PLT RADIOED GND CTLR, GAVE LOCATION AND ASKED FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. PLT ADVISED GND CTLR THAT ATIS WAS ONLY PARTLY READABLE. PLT WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 36L. RWY 36L IS VERY CLOSE TO THE FBO RAMP. RWY 36L HAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD FOR LNDG ACFT. PLT TAXIED AS INSTRUCTED FROM RAMP TO TXWY. PLT DID NOT SEE AND RWY THRESHOLD MARKINGS ON TXWY AND DOES NOT BELIEVE PROPER THRESHOLD MARKING WAS PRESENT. PLT STOPPED ACFT PRIOR TO XING SINGLE YELLOW LINE MARKING EDGE OF RWY 36L WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED DISPLACED LNDG THRESHOLD. PLT PERFORMED RUNUP AND CALLED GND CTL (PRIOR TO SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ) TO INQUIRE IF CTLRS WANTED PLT TO TAXI ACFT TO THE LNDG THRESHOLD OR NOT. GND CTL INFORMED PLT THAT ACFT WAS ALREADY ON THE RWY AND TO CONTACT TWR ON TWR FREQ. PLT COMPLIED AND WAS RELEASED FOR TKOF W/O INCIDENT. NO OTHER TFC WAS INVOLVED. NO OTHER ACFT WERE PRESENT IN THE VICINITY OF THE PLT'S ACFT. THERE WERE NO ACFT LNDG ON 36L AT THE TIME. SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED. THE PLT'S CONCERN IS THAT: 1) HE BELIEVES THAT THIS PARTICULAR RWY THRESHOLD IS NOT CLEARLY MARKED AS THE PLT DID NOT SEE A RWY THRESHOLD MARKING WHILE TAXIING FROM FBO. 2) THERE COULD HAVE POSSIBLE BEEN A COMPROMISE IN SAFETY IF THERE HAD BEEN AN ACFT LNDG ON 36L AND IF FOR SOME REASON THIS LNDG ACFT LANDED SHORT ON THE S END OF RWY 36L. THE PLT BELIEVES THAT TXWY MARKINGS/GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD BE EFFECTED MORE CLEARLY, PARTICULARLY FOR TRANSIENT ACFT TO PERHAPS PREVENT AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT AT THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION ON NEW. PLT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED BY POOR ATIS RECEPTION AND THE VERY SHORT DISTANCE FROM FBO TO RWY 36L.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.