RPTR MAY HAVE LANDED ON CLOSED RWY.
Synopsis
RPTR MAY HAVE LANDED ON CLOSED RWY.
Narrative
APCHING OCF FOR LNDG FROM N; DSNDING IMC ON IFR FPL WITH JAX ARTCC ENTERED VMC 3000 FT MSL 15 NM N OF OCF AND CANCELED IFR. I WAS GIVEN NO RESTRS REGARDING VISUAL APCH OR LNDG AT OCF; (UNCTLED) AND NO TFC CONFLICTS. MONITORED AWOS AND RECEIVED NORMAL INFO - NO MENTION OF RWY CLOSURE; WIND VIA AWOS FAVORED RWY 18 (6900 FT X 150 FT). TUNED (I THOUGHT) UNICOM AND DECLARED STRAIGHT-IN RWY 18 AT 7 AND 5 MI AND SHORT FINAL - RECEIVED NO REPLY. OBSERVED FROM SHORT FINAL WHAT I THOUGHT WERE VEHICLES IN ACFT TIEDOWN AREA E OF RWY 18/36 FOR DOWN (APPROX 1 MI) RWY NO FLASHING LIGHTS; NO X ON RWY OR OTHER SIGNALS WERE VISIBLE. NORMAL LNDG TO FULL STOP IN LESS THAN 3000 FT; PROBABLY 2500 FT; OF RWY WAS MADE. AT TURNOFF; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT AN ACFT WAS OFF THE RWY 1000-1500 FT BEYOND MY EXIT AND THAT AN UNKNOWN # OF VEHICLES SURROUNDED IT - NO VEHICLES WERE ON THE RWY AND MY WING SPAN WOULD HAVE CLRED THE ACFT HAD ROLL-OUT BEYOND IT BEEN NECESSARY. WITNESS STATED THE ACFT HAD BEEN ON THE GND 45 MINS; YET FSS AND ARTCC HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. UNICOM HAD ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ME. I DID NOT RECEIVE THEM AND MAY HAVE MISTUNED. UPON TAXI FOR DEP WE HEARD A KINGAIR 2000 FT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ARPT UNABLE TO READ UNICOM AND RELAYED TO THEM SUCCESSFULLY. SUGGEST FBO AND LCL EMER PERSONNEL BE TRAINED IN VISUAL WARNING PROCS AND BE FURNISHED PROCS FOR CONTACTING FSS AND ARTCC! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IT WAS SUNDAY AFTERNOON WHEN AN AEROSTAR RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE NW RWY. HE WAS CLR OF THE RWY BUT THE SHERIFF AND THE POLICE WERE PRESENT AND OF THE DEFINITE OPINION THAT THE PLTS SHOULD NOT LAND ON THAT RWY. THE RPTR'S FIANCEE WAS IN THE FBO WITNESSING THE UNICOM'S FAILED EFFORT TO CONTACT THE RPTR. ANOTHER ACFT ARRIVED AND UNICOM WAS UNSUCCESSFUL WITH THAT ONE ALSO. BOTH ARRIVING ACFT WERE ON THE UNICOM FREQ MAKING THEIR CALLS TO TFC IN THE BLIND AS APPROPRIATE TO A NON-TWR ARPT. THEY BOTH RECEIVED AWOS-3. COULD THE RWY CLOSURE HAVE BEEN RECORDED ON THAT FACILITY? THE RPTR STATED THE RWY IN HIS OPINION WAS SAFE AND EVEN IF HE HAD FLOWN THE STANDARD PATTERN AND OBSERVED THE ACTIVITY FORM DOWNWIND HE STILL WOULD HAVE LANDED. HOWEVER; HE ADMITS WITH FLT TRAINING AT THE ARPT IN THE ABSENCE OF UNICOM CONTACT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PRACTICE TO FLY THE PATTERN. THE RPTR IS AN EXPERIENCED PLT WITH A STABLE FULL OF ACFT INCLUDING A STAGGERING BEECH; 2 C-45 S; A PIPER PACER; HIS CESSNA-340 AND MORE JUST TO MENTION A FEW. THE FBO UNICOM OPERATORS DID NOT SEEM TRAINED TO COPE WITH NOTIFYING THE VARIOUS ATC AGENCIES THAT SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.