Narrative:

I was working local control when aircraft X reported inbound for landing. Aircraft was cleared to land runway 34R. Observed aircraft over taxiway a. Tried to send around, but pilot landed on taxiway a. Backgnd: a new parallel taxiway 'a' has been built, and this is 1 of several occurrences where pilots have been confused and landed on the taxiway. Discussions have been held about painting the taxiway, but no one sees the problems. Aircraft have ranged from single engine to cpr jets. They have landed over parked aircraft in the runup area, vehicles, and in 1 instance, over emergency vehicles with flashing lights. A safety advisory is on the ATIS and notices have been sent out, but the problem still occurs and will continue to exist. City's solution was to put X's in grass off end of taxiway. Supplemental information from acn #565749: management of tower and union have both addressed issue numerous times, but none of their suggestions have been taken. Only a matter of time before a tragedy occurs due to this very dangerous situation. You cannot tell from the tower that aircraft are lined up on taxiway (especially on runway 34R) until they have landed. I have previously suggested that non standard, approved markings in the form of large yellow/black 'a' be painted on the taxiway. It has also been suggested that large yellow chevrons be painted on the edges of the taxiway to give it the illusion of being narrower or the word 'taxiway' could be painted vertically in large yellow letters. Callback conversation with ftn tower specialist revealed the following information: the taxiway in question was opened in feb of 2002, and was originally to be used as a runway while a new parallel runway was being constructed. At some point, the new runway concept was replaced by a repair and patch the old runway concept, leaving a 150 ft wide taxiway that looks like a parallel runway, (runway 34R) on final. Various procedures have been employed to help thwart the misidenting of this parallel taxiway as a runway: 1) emergency directives issued, 2) ATIS transmitted, critical safety advisories, 3) approach runway lights at a higher than normal level, 4) chart notification, alerting pilots of the similarities 5) runway 16R-34L to be changed to runway 17-35, in turn, runway 16L-34R will be redesignated runway 16-34.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLRS AT KFTW EXPRESS CONCERN OVER ACFT MISTAKING THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED PARALLEL TXWY TO RWY 34R AS BEING RWY 34R.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL WHEN ACFT X RPTED INBOUND FOR LNDG. ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 34R. OBSERVED ACFT OVER TXWY A. TRIED TO SEND AROUND, BUT PLT LANDED ON TXWY A. BACKGND: A NEW PARALLEL TXWY 'A' HAS BEEN BUILT, AND THIS IS 1 OF SEVERAL OCCURRENCES WHERE PLTS HAVE BEEN CONFUSED AND LANDED ON THE TXWY. DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN HELD ABOUT PAINTING THE TXWY, BUT NO ONE SEES THE PROBS. ACFT HAVE RANGED FROM SINGLE ENG TO CPR JETS. THEY HAVE LANDED OVER PARKED ACFT IN THE RUNUP AREA, VEHICLES, AND IN 1 INSTANCE, OVER EMER VEHICLES WITH FLASHING LIGHTS. A SAFETY ADVISORY IS ON THE ATIS AND NOTICES HAVE BEEN SENT OUT, BUT THE PROB STILL OCCURS AND WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST. CITY'S SOLUTION WAS TO PUT X'S IN GRASS OFF END OF TXWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN #565749: MGMNT OF TWR AND UNION HAVE BOTH ADDRESSED ISSUE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT NONE OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A TRAGEDY OCCURS DUE TO THIS VERY DANGEROUS SIT. YOU CANNOT TELL FROM THE TWR THAT ACFT ARE LINED UP ON TXWY (ESPECIALLY ON RWY 34R) UNTIL THEY HAVE LANDED. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY SUGGESTED THAT NON STANDARD, APPROVED MARKINGS IN THE FORM OF LARGE YELLOW/BLACK 'A' BE PAINTED ON THE TXWY. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SUGGESTED THAT LARGE YELLOW CHEVRONS BE PAINTED ON THE EDGES OF THE TXWY TO GIVE IT THE ILLUSION OF BEING NARROWER OR THE WORD 'TXWY' COULD BE PAINTED VERTLY IN LARGE YELLOW LETTERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FTN TWR SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE TXWY IN QUESTION WAS OPENED IN FEB OF 2002, AND WAS ORIGINALLY TO BE USED AS A RWY WHILE A NEW PARALLEL RWY WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED. AT SOME POINT, THE NEW RWY CONCEPT WAS REPLACED BY A REPAIR AND PATCH THE OLD RWY CONCEPT, LEAVING A 150 FT WIDE TXWY THAT LOOKS LIKE A PARALLEL RWY, (RWY 34R) ON FINAL. VARIOUS PROCS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED TO HELP THWART THE MISIDENTING OF THIS PARALLEL TXWY AS A RWY: 1) EMER DIRECTIVES ISSUED, 2) ATIS XMITTED, CRITICAL SAFETY ADVISORIES, 3) APCH RWY LIGHTS AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL LEVEL, 4) CHART NOTIFICATION, ALERTING PLTS OF THE SIMILARITIES 5) RWY 16R-34L TO BE CHANGED TO RWY 17-35, IN TURN, RWY 16L-34R WILL BE REDESIGNATED RWY 16-34.

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.