Narrative:

Runway 4/22 at roc has north 1950 ft closed due to construction activities. Runway 22 was active departure runway, requiring a taxi onto runway at taxiway A-4 and back taxi to utilize full length. Runway markings appeared to most closely match a displaced threshold about 300 ft south of the barricades beginning the construction zone. I had plenty of room to taxi north past the displaced threshold, complete a 180 degree turn, align with the centerline and begin the takeoff roll at the displaced threshold line. As my 180 degree turn was completed at idle power and prior to the displaced threshold, I spooled the engine up some to taxi toward the threshold. As the aircraft crossed the threshold, I completed the takeoff power application. Roc tower said 'a bit early on the takeoff power, XXX.' I later called him on the phone and he maintains that the displaced threshold was in fact a relocated threshold and I should not have taxied north of the line. There were no signs or chevron markings to indicate a 'relocated threshold' and most of the surface markings matched a displaced threshold. Also, other than the ATIS NOTAMS and flight plan NOTAMS mentioning the north 1950 ft of runway 4/22 closed, nothing indicated a 'relocated threshold' versus a 'displaced threshold,' so due to the markings and limited runway length available, I treated it as a displaced threshold and the new threshold as the power up line. I noticed during the back taxi that all men/equipment was toward the sides of the runway with nothing on the centerline other than the end barricades. Roc departure ATIS did mention non standard markings due to construction. I suggest they be standardized to avoid potential hazards to men/equipment due to takeoff power applications. Perhaps additional distance is needed between the construction and the new and more clearly marked 'relocated threshold.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there was a NOTAM out that he received stating the north 1950 ft of runway were closed. His problem was that he couldn't tell where the north 1950 ft started. During taxi out for takeoff, he inquired of the tower if the runway was marked as a displaced threshold. The tower replied no, it is not a displaced threshold, but a relocated threshold. Reporter taxied his aircraft down to some barricades and then just before the barricades, he made a 180 degree turn for takeoff. He knew he was close to the men working on the closed portion but felt anywhere on the usable runway side of the barricades, it would be okay to use takeoff thrust. He still ran the thrust up slowly, then when an aircraft length away from the barricades he went to takeoff thrust. He knew he was close to the workers but felt he was in the takeoff thrust area of the runway for applying takeoff thrust. As he applied takeoff thrust, the tower made the comment, 'a bit early on the takeoff power.' reporter called the roc tower when he landed at destination to understand everything that occurred during his takeoff departure. Reporter feels he wants better markings indicating where takeoff roll and takeoff engine thrust may begin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 DEPARTING ROC, NY, BEGINS TKOF ROLL TOO CLOSE TO A RELOCATED THRESHOLD. FLC IS NOT CERTAIN WHERE TKOF THRUST AND TKOF ROLL ARE ALLOWED TO BEGIN FOR A SAFE DEP.

Narrative: RWY 4/22 AT ROC HAS N 1950 FT CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. RWY 22 WAS ACTIVE DEP RWY, REQUIRING A TAXI ONTO RWY AT TXWY A-4 AND BACK TAXI TO UTILIZE FULL LENGTH. RWY MARKINGS APPEARED TO MOST CLOSELY MATCH A DISPLACED THRESHOLD ABOUT 300 FT S OF THE BARRICADES BEGINNING THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE. I HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO TAXI N PAST THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, COMPLETE A 180 DEG TURN, ALIGN WITH THE CTRLINE AND BEGIN THE TKOF ROLL AT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD LINE. AS MY 180 DEG TURN WAS COMPLETED AT IDLE PWR AND PRIOR TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, I SPOOLED THE ENG UP SOME TO TAXI TOWARD THE THRESHOLD. AS THE ACFT CROSSED THE THRESHOLD, I COMPLETED THE TKOF PWR APPLICATION. ROC TWR SAID 'A BIT EARLY ON THE TKOF PWR, XXX.' I LATER CALLED HIM ON THE PHONE AND HE MAINTAINS THAT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD WAS IN FACT A RELOCATED THRESHOLD AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TAXIED N OF THE LINE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OR CHEVRON MARKINGS TO INDICATE A 'RELOCATED THRESHOLD' AND MOST OF THE SURFACE MARKINGS MATCHED A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. ALSO, OTHER THAN THE ATIS NOTAMS AND FLT PLAN NOTAMS MENTIONING THE N 1950 FT OF RWY 4/22 CLOSED, NOTHING INDICATED A 'RELOCATED THRESHOLD' VERSUS A 'DISPLACED THRESHOLD,' SO DUE TO THE MARKINGS AND LIMITED RWY LENGTH AVAILABLE, I TREATED IT AS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD AND THE NEW THRESHOLD AS THE PWR UP LINE. I NOTICED DURING THE BACK TAXI THAT ALL MEN/EQUIP WAS TOWARD THE SIDES OF THE RWY WITH NOTHING ON THE CTRLINE OTHER THAN THE END BARRICADES. ROC DEP ATIS DID MENTION NON STANDARD MARKINGS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. I SUGGEST THEY BE STANDARDIZED TO AVOID POTENTIAL HAZARDS TO MEN/EQUIP DUE TO TKOF PWR APPLICATIONS. PERHAPS ADDITIONAL DISTANCE IS NEEDED BTWN THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE NEW AND MORE CLRLY MARKED 'RELOCATED THRESHOLD.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM OUT THAT HE RECEIVED STATING THE N 1950 FT OF RWY WERE CLOSED. HIS PROB WAS THAT HE COULDN'T TELL WHERE THE N 1950 FT STARTED. DURING TAXI OUT FOR TKOF, HE INQUIRED OF THE TWR IF THE RWY WAS MARKED AS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. THE TWR REPLIED NO, IT IS NOT A DISPLACED THRESHOLD, BUT A RELOCATED THRESHOLD. RPTR TAXIED HIS ACFT DOWN TO SOME BARRICADES AND THEN JUST BEFORE THE BARRICADES, HE MADE A 180 DEG TURN FOR TKOF. HE KNEW HE WAS CLOSE TO THE MEN WORKING ON THE CLOSED PORTION BUT FELT ANYWHERE ON THE USABLE RWY SIDE OF THE BARRICADES, IT WOULD BE OKAY TO USE TKOF THRUST. HE STILL RAN THE THRUST UP SLOWLY, THEN WHEN AN ACFT LENGTH AWAY FROM THE BARRICADES HE WENT TO TKOF THRUST. HE KNEW HE WAS CLOSE TO THE WORKERS BUT FELT HE WAS IN THE TKOF THRUST AREA OF THE RWY FOR APPLYING TKOF THRUST. AS HE APPLIED TKOF THRUST, THE TWR MADE THE COMMENT, 'A BIT EARLY ON THE TKOF PWR.' RPTR CALLED THE ROC TWR WHEN HE LANDED AT DEST TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT OCCURRED DURING HIS TKOF DEP. RPTR FEELS HE WANTS BETTER MARKINGS INDICATING WHERE TKOF ROLL AND TKOF ENG THRUST MAY BEGIN.

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.