Narrative:

The condition of runway 16R at vny; specifically the the first 1400 ft (the concrete section that makes up the displaced threshold area); and in particular the juncture between the concrete and asphalt where the displaced threshold ends and the landing threshold begins. The concrete area has become more and more uneven; leading up to a significant bump where the two different pavements join. This has created a condition where aircraft on takeoff roll from the beginning of runway 16R; particularly larger/heavier aircraft; experience a moderate bouncing action until reaching the pavement seam (usually reaching around 80 KTS by that point); then hitting the bump with enough force to cause a typical air/oil nose landing gear strut to 'bottom out' with the expected jarring of the airframe and occupants. At the very least; this causes a great deal of discomfort and concern among passengers; and I believe that repeated encounters with that bump can and will lead to structural damage to the nose landing gear components; and at worst could lead to a loss of directional control if a tire/wheel/steering mechanism failed. If this condition worsens even a little; I would be inclined to avoid the area completely and begin my takeoff roll from a point beyond the pavement seam. This would; of course; shorten the available takeoff distance by over 1500 ft; impacting my payload and/or fuel load; resulting in reduced operating capacity and increased noise footprint at the departure end of the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A pilot taking off on VNY Runway 16 reports an abrupt runway surface change between the concrete and paved surfaces which may cause aircraft damage because of the bump at the transition.

Narrative: The condition of Runway 16R at VNY; specifically the the first 1400 FT (the concrete section that makes up the displaced threshold area); and in particular the juncture between the concrete and asphalt where the displaced threshold ends and the landing threshold begins. The concrete area has become more and more uneven; leading up to a significant bump where the two different pavements join. This has created a condition where aircraft on takeoff roll from the beginning of Runway 16R; particularly larger/heavier aircraft; experience a moderate bouncing action until reaching the pavement seam (usually reaching around 80 KTS by that point); then hitting the bump with enough force to cause a typical air/oil nose landing gear strut to 'bottom out' with the expected jarring of the airframe and occupants. At the very least; this causes a great deal of discomfort and concern among passengers; and I believe that repeated encounters with that bump can and will lead to structural damage to the nose landing gear components; and at worst could lead to a loss of directional control if a tire/wheel/steering mechanism failed. If this condition worsens even a little; I would be inclined to avoid the area completely and begin my takeoff roll from a point beyond the pavement seam. This would; of course; shorten the available takeoff distance by over 1500 FT; impacting my payload and/or fuel load; resulting in reduced operating capacity and increased noise footprint at the departure end of the runway.

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.