Narrative:

At reno, we took off at intersection D of runway 16R, instead of using the full length. Tower warned us as the takeoff roll was started. Since our gross weight allowed us to use runway 16L which was shorter than the remaining length of runway 16R we continued the takeoff with tower's approval. Cause: at night taxiway D looks like the end of the runway. There are no signs to show that taxiway a is the full length, nor is there any note on the chart page as they have at some other airports. Pilot unfamiliarity with the airport was another factor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that flight crew did not have the airport diagram in front of them because they fly in and out a lot. However, this displaced threshold is fairly new, it was night and the green threshold lights are aligned with taxiway D so it seemed natural to move onto the runway at that point. Even in the daytime the hatch marks on the displaced threshold appear to indicate it is not usable. When flight crew looked at the airport diagram they did not recognize the white rectangular box as a displaced threshold marking. They could not find it in the legend. Reporter feels there needs to be a sign on the taxiway to indicate one should continue straight ahead for full runway length. Reporter has discussed this with his company and recommended they issue a 'green sheet' for rno as they do other airports with special considerations. He has not had any follow up on this issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 TAXIES ONTO RWY AT INTXN RATHER THAN AT BEGINNING OF RWY DUE TO LIGHTING AND POOR SIGNAGE.

Narrative: AT RENO, WE TOOK OFF AT INTXN D OF RWY 16R, INSTEAD OF USING THE FULL LENGTH. TWR WARNED US AS THE TKOF ROLL WAS STARTED. SINCE OUR GROSS WT ALLOWED US TO USE RWY 16L WHICH WAS SHORTER THAN THE REMAINING LENGTH OF RWY 16R WE CONTINUED THE TKOF WITH TWR'S APPROVAL. CAUSE: AT NIGHT TXWY D LOOKS LIKE THE END OF THE RWY. THERE ARE NO SIGNS TO SHOW THAT TXWY A IS THE FULL LENGTH, NOR IS THERE ANY NOTE ON THE CHART PAGE AS THEY HAVE AT SOME OTHER ARPTS. PLT UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT WAS ANOTHER FACTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT FLC DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT DIAGRAM IN FRONT OF THEM BECAUSE THEY FLY IN AND OUT A LOT. HOWEVER, THIS DISPLACED THRESHOLD IS FAIRLY NEW, IT WAS NIGHT AND THE GREEN THRESHOLD LIGHTS ARE ALIGNED WITH TXWY D SO IT SEEMED NATURAL TO MOVE ONTO THE RWY AT THAT POINT. EVEN IN THE DAYTIME THE HATCH MARKS ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD APPEAR TO INDICATE IT IS NOT USABLE. WHEN FLC LOOKED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE WHITE RECTANGULAR BOX AS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKING. THEY COULD NOT FIND IT IN THE LEGEND. RPTR FEELS THERE NEEDS TO BE A SIGN ON THE TXWY TO INDICATE ONE SHOULD CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR FULL RWY LENGTH. RPTR HAS DISCUSSED THIS WITH HIS COMPANY AND RECOMMENDED THEY ISSUE A 'GREEN SHEET' FOR RNO AS THEY DO OTHER ARPTS WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS. HE HAS NOT HAD ANY FOLLOW UP ON THIS ISSUE.

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.