Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Airport; Procedure
Upon arrival at Ft. Bliss Biggs Army Airfield; Runway 21 was NOTAMed for men and equipment on the runway and a displaced threshold which closes the first 4;000 FT or so of Runway 21. We were cleared to fly the VOR 21 approach to Runway 21 without any mention from Approach Control or Tower of men and equipment on the runway and any mention of the displaced threshold. I believe there is a requirement that Tower should mention these hazards to arriving aircraft. After talking to Tower via the land line they implied that this is not a requirement. The approaches to the runway bring you to the normal touchdown point which is dangerous not only to the men working; but a part of the runway has been excavated around the normal touchdown zone; so if an aircraft mistakenly landed there it would destroy the airplane. Please pass along to all crews. Normally this NOTAM would also be available through ATIS; but BIF uses El Paso regional airport ATIS for arriving traffic which makes no mention of BIF airfield NOTAMs. Approach Control should not have cleared us for an Instrument approach if a runway has a displaced threshold. Tower should mention to every landing aircraft that men and equipment are on the runway and that there is a displaced threshold. Add BIF NOTAMs to El Paso airport ATIS.
Flight crew landed on BIF Runway 21 and unexpectedly discovered men and equipment near the displaced threshold. The BIF NOTAMs are published through the normal FAA channel; but apparently this crew did not get them.