Confusion regarding the displaced threshold; conflicting lighting and the VASI out of service led a ...

Narrative:

13R vasis were out of service. Good visibility under a high ceiling. Captain was pilot flying and started descent from MDA and got 'low altitude warning' from jfk tower and corrected. However; I realized that his aim point for landing was still short of the displaced threshold on 13R. I prompted that there was a displaced threshold and he corrected to avoid touchdown until the threshold. Contributing factors were the lack of vasis; approach lights end at the end of the runway (not at the displaced threshold); pilot unfamiliarity with 13R (13L has a different lighting configuration); various lighting was of different intensities; causing confusing light clutter (i.e. The taxiway signs were brighter than the runway edge lights); and a very long displaced area. This set of factors could easily lead to an airplane landing in the displaced threshold.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Confusion regarding the displaced threshold; conflicting lighting and the VASI out of service led a B757-200 flight crew to descend prematurely on the Canarsie VOR approach to Runway 13R at JFK.

Narrative: 13R VASIs were out of service. Good visibility under a high ceiling. Captain was Pilot Flying and started descent from MDA and got 'Low Altitude Warning' from JFK Tower and corrected. However; I realized that his aim point for landing was still short of the displaced threshold on 13R. I prompted that there was a displaced threshold and he corrected to avoid touchdown until the threshold. Contributing factors were the lack of VASIs; approach lights end at the end of the runway (not at the displaced threshold); pilot unfamiliarity with 13R (13L has a different lighting configuration); various lighting was of different intensities; causing confusing light clutter (i.e. the taxiway signs were brighter than the runway edge lights); and a very long displaced area. This set of factors could easily lead to an airplane landing in the displaced threshold.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	836884
Time
Date	200905
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	JFK.Airport
State Reference	NY
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Not Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150 Flight Crew Total 10000 Flight Crew Type 3000
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach

Confusion regarding the displaced threshold; conflicting lighting and the VASI out of service led a B757-200 flight crew to descend prematurely on the canarsie VOR approach to runway 13R at jfk.