Ultralight pilot report of poor airport design with drainage ditches along side of runway.

Attributes
ACN	263506
Time
Date	199306
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 6b8
State Reference	VT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Ultralight
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 145
ASRS Report	263506
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On arrival I noted a damaged ultralight and the attendant told me the runway was designed by a highway engineer who arranged drainage ditches along the length. The ultralight drifted off the runway and was substantially damaged. Other aircraft have done so also. The runway is rather narrow, high, and exposed to winds. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that airport employee is the person who told him the airport designed by highway engineer. Apparently the airport is managed by the department of hwys. The ditches are about 3 ft deep and about 15 ft from edge of runway. Since the airport is located on a bluff they often get winds across the runway. Reporter does not know how many times ultralights have been blown off the runway but suggested contacting the airport itself.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ULTRALIGHT PLT RPT OF POOR ARPT DESIGN WITH DRAINAGE DITCHES ALONG SIDE OF RWY.

Narrative: ON ARR I NOTED A DAMAGED ULTRALIGHT AND THE ATTENDANT TOLD ME THE RWY WAS DESIGNED BY A HWY ENGINEER WHO ARRANGED DRAINAGE DITCHES ALONG THE LENGTH. THE ULTRALIGHT DRIFTED OFF THE RWY AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. OTHER ACFT HAVE DONE SO ALSO. THE RWY IS RATHER NARROW, HIGH, AND EXPOSED TO WINDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT ARPT EMPLOYEE IS THE PERSON WHO TOLD HIM THE ARPT DESIGNED BY HWY ENGINEER. APPARENTLY THE ARPT IS MANAGED BY THE DEPT OF HWYS. THE DITCHES ARE ABOUT 3 FT DEEP AND ABOUT 15 FT FROM EDGE OF RWY. SINCE THE ARPT IS LOCATED ON A BLUFF THEY OFTEN GET WINDS ACROSS THE RWY. RPTR DOES NOT KNOW HOW MANY TIMES ULTRALIGHTS HAVE BEEN BLOWN OFF THE RWY BUT SUGGESTED CONTACTING THE ARPT ITSELF.

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.