SMA PLT LANDS CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative

DEPARTED COLUMBIA COUNTY ARPT (1B1) AT XA00 FOR A LCL TRAINING PLEASURE FLT. PRIOR TO DEP I CALLED ATHENS ARPT (NY03) FOR LCL CONDITIONS -- NO ONE ANSWERED. PREVIOUS FLTS INTO NY03; THE OWNER ASKED ME TO USE THE GROSS STRIP ADJACENT TO THE TURF RWY IN THE SPRING WHEN RWY CONDITIONS ARE SOFT. AFTER DEP AND 30-40 MINS OF PRACTICE; I HEADED TO NY03 TO MEET A FRIEND AND INTRODUCE HIM TO FLYING. I ATTEMPTED 3 TIMES TO REACH UNICOM ON 122.8 AND HEADED FOR A XWIND APCH TO RWY 2 (COLUMBIA COUNTY 1B1 WAS USING RWY 3 AND WAS THE CLOSEST RWY). UPON ENTERING XWIND I NOTICED THE WINDSOCK WAS FAVORING RWY 20. I FLEW L DOWNWIND ALONG RWY 2 AND DEPARTED SE AND REENTERED ON A L 45 TO RWY 20. AFTER FLYING DOWNWIND; BASE; AND FINAL; I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT IN THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RWY AS REQUESTED PREVIOUSLY BY THE OWNER. I WALKED TO THE OWNER'S HOUSE TO ANNOUNCE MY INTENTIONS OF NOTIFYING A FRIEND THAT I WAS IN ATHEN AND I WOULD BE DEPARTING SHORTLY. NO ONE WAS HOME AT THE HOUSE SO I WALKED TO A CORNER STORE AND CALLED MY FRIEND; WHO PICKED ME UP AT THE STORE AND WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT. UPON REACHING THE ARPT I WAS MET BY THE OWNER AND HIS WIFE WHO STATED THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. I APOLOGIZED AND STATED THAT THE RWY WAS NOT X OUT INDICATING CLOSED (AT THE RWY ENDS). I LATER FOUND OUT THAT A SMALL X WAS PLACED IN THE CTR OF THE RWY BUT DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO THE MUD/DIRT THAT HAD SPLASHED ON TOP OF IT. I DEPARTED THE ARPT WITHOUT INCIDENT AFTER APOLOGIZING AGAIN AND OFFERING TO ASSIST THEM IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. UPON LNDG AT 1B1 I CHKED THE NOTAMS AND FOUND THE ARPT NY03 WAS CLOSED -- I SHOULD NOT HAVE RELIED ON PREVIOUS INFO OR JUST ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE OWNER FOR LCL KNOWLEDGE. THE RWYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER MARKED IF CLOSED AS INDICATED IN FAR'S BY XING EACH END AND NEAR THE WINDSOCK.