Lincoln Airport Logo
Ensure Correct Runway Lineup
The Lincoln Airport has parallel runways that are approximately 3,000 feet apart and oriented in a north-south configuration.
Runway 18/36 is the longest, most prominent runway at 12,901 x 200 feet. It is located on the west side of the airport.
Runway 17/35 is the shorter runway at 5,800 x 100 feet and is located on the east side of the airport.
The crosswind runway, Runway 14/32, is located at the center of the airport and measures 8,640 x 100 feet.
Information on the runways can be found in the North Central U.S. Chart Supplement and on the local ATIS (118.05) which broadcasts, “Ensure correct runway lineup. Runway 17/35 is the shorter, parallel runway 3,000 feet east of Runway 18/36.”
Refer to the LNK approach images below for further guidance.

LNK Approach from the North (click for a larger image)

Runway misalignment north

LNK Approach from the South (click for a larger image)

Runway misalignment south

Ensure Correct Runway Lineup at Lincoln Airport

Events in which in aircraft lands or departs on the wrong runway or a taxiway tend to be the highest-profile and most dangerous events in aviation can be attributed with two fundamentals:

  1. Flight Crew and ATC Procedures: Loss of Situational Awareness, specifically
    positional awareness, sometimes but not always aided by complacency, is the most
    common reason for wrong runway use.
  2. Airport Design: It is important to recognize that some airports are designed in such a way that the possibility of incorrect use of runways is heightened by identifiable ‘opportunities for error’.

What Pilots Can do

  1. Familiarize yourself with the airport to the maximum extent possible by reviewing
    pictures, maps, diagrams of the airport design, and listen to ATIS (118.05).
  2. Be familiar with the primary arrival runway.
  3. Make sure that ATC instructions and clearances are clearly heard and understood. Make sure you give a proper read-back, if unsure, ask ATC to repeat instructions or clearance again and don’t hesitate to ask questions about anything you feel requires clarification.
  4. Confirm that you have correctly identified the destination airport before reporting the airport/runway insight, especially at night or when weather or environmental conditions might make precise identification more difficult.

Remember to LOOK, LISTEN, and FOCUS – the actions YOU take not only affect your safety, but also the safety of OTHERS.

From the Flight Deck graphic

While high-profile runway safety incidents involving commercial (Part 121) aircraft make the headlines, data shows that general aviation (GA) pilots are involved in a vast majority of these events. One of the common contributing factors to these pilot errors is a lack of awareness or misunderstanding of local runway and taxiway configurations.

 

To help reduce the occurrence of wrong surface incidents, runway incursions, and other high-risk events at U.S. airports, the FAA has developed the “From the Flight Deck” YouTube video series, that is targeted to GA audiences. Lincoln Airport is featured in the initial roll-out of these videos. View the video by clicking on the “From the Flight Deck” graphic.