This question is driving me nuts. I see a few runway symbols on the profile view of an approach plate here and there (after the MAP) that are broken, or dashed, rather than solid. I have found this at a few different airports. It seems to only be on certain approaches at a specific airport. For example, it appears on the VOR/DME or TACAN for Rwy 34L at KJAN, but it doesn't appear for 16R (opposite direction, same pavement). I found it on a couple more approaches at KBHM, but couldn't find any similarities that would point to the reason for this symbol.

One other thing, the "broken" runway symbol only appears on DoD FLIP, not on Jepp or FAA approach plates. I found the ones I could in the Vol. 14 (LA, MS, AL). Haven't tried to find them in other Vol's. I've asked some of the most knowledgeable guys I know, and Google yielded nothing for this obscure question. Anyone here happen to know? Planning on tracking down whoever makes these plates tomorrow to ask what the deal is. There has to be some reason they'd go in and change this just for military guys on certain approaches...

I just checked my NOS plate for KJAN, VOR/DME or TACAN 34L and the runway is solid black. Plate is valid until 3 March... Hmm... May be a printing anomaly?

Perhaps USMCFLYER will chime in, he would know...

I have contacts at the charting office that I could reach out too, but when I have come across these types of issues before they have ultimately turned out to be printing errors.

The one I was looking at was also valid until 3 Mar, then a TCN comes out I believe. I don't have it in front of me at the moment though.

It seems too "clean" to be a printing error, in my opinion, but it very well could be. I contacted the NGA pubs office (just Googled the agency on the front of the Vol) and they said they'd have somebody call me back who could answer the question. I got a call from a manager there who said it sounded like a "content" question and I'd need to contact somebody in the AF about it... I'll keep asking around I guess. It's not exactly critical, just a curiosity thing. Runway seemed fine to me, definitely didn't have any massive cracks as depicted.

Thanks for the replies.

If I remember right it is giving you a heads up that you will be flying over or by an airport with basically the same landing runway during your approach. For example; KJAN ILS Rwy 16. Just prior to the glide slope intercept you fly by Campbell airport with a runway 17 which is about 8 miles from KJAN. Just situation awareness.

That sounds logical though it would seem that the charting convention would be in the legend or something of the like.

Another example of what you describe is Flippin airport (KFLP) and Baxter County airport (KBPK) in Arkansas, but you can see how they handled it in this case on the profile and planview.
https://skyvector.com/files/tpp/1603/pdf/05406ILD5.PDF

That example makes more sense for sure.

OK - I sent the question up through our in-house TERPS/Procedures folks and also sent it to my contact at the Charting office and this is the answer I got back:

I sent some portions of the posts too where FB details where it has been seen before and the differences with the DoD -vs- FAA charts, so realize that his answers addresses what they can check in their pubs (which we already knew), but it does give some insight to a reason behind it from someone who works with it.

USMCFLYR, thanks for the answer. I figured if it was placed there on purpose to mean something, that it would be in the legend.

That KBPK chart is pretty nice the way they display that for SA. Never seen it done that way before. Hopefully it'll prevent people from landing at the wrong runway if coming in for a visual and looking at the plate. Although visual should always be backed up with an ILS frequency, I can see how that other airport would be chump bait if somebody took over visually too early out.

Seems there are quite a few areas that could benefit from something like the KBPK plate. KAAO (site of the Dreamliner incident), KBEC, and KIAB all near Witchita KS. None of them have any similar type of annunciation of close runways.