[Bob Newhart] Two pilots are bringing the plane in for a landing. The plane hits the runway. They don’t have enough room to stop and they smash into the terminal. One pilot turns to the other and says, “Man, that was a short runway.” The other pilot says, “But it sure was wide though.” [/Bob Newhart]
Shortly after WWII, an Alaskan bush pilot named Jim Dodson was landing at Nome. There was a 7,500-foot runway that was 500 feet wide. A 30-mph crosswind was blowing, so he landed across the runway, directly in front of the tower. 500-foot landings were routine for him.
The book where I read this (Glacier Pilot, by Beth Day) didn’t say what sort of aircraft Mr. Dodson was flying that day.