C182RG ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ITH CHKED WX WITH FSS AND TALKED TO ATC ALL THE WAY. WHEN 5 MI FROM DEST; HE IS ADVISED THAT THE ARPT HAD CLOSED 5 MINS AGO.
Synopsis
C182RG ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ITH CHKED WX WITH FSS AND TALKED TO ATC ALL THE WAY. WHEN 5 MI FROM DEST; HE IS ADVISED THAT THE ARPT HAD CLOSED 5 MINS AGO.
Narrative
CALLED FLT SVC AROUND XA00 PM LCL TIME TO GET WX AND ADVISORIES FOR IFR FLT TO ITHACA; NY; FROM GLEN FALLS; NY. WX WAS CLR -- IFR ALL THE WAY -- HIGH PRESSURE WAS IN PLACE ALONG ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. TOLD FLT SVC I WOULD DEPART AT XD00 PM LCL AND ARRIVE ITHACA ARPT ABOUT XE00 PM. 'NO NOTAMS WERE IN PLACE.' CALLED BURLINGTON FSS AT XD00 PM RECEIVED IFR CLRNC TO ITHACA; NY. DEPARTED AT XD00 PM. ALONG RTE OF FLT I CONTACTED ALBANY DEP; GRIFFIS-SYRACUSE AND LAST ELMIRA. ABOUT 8 MI FROM ITHACA ARPT IN GREAT VFR CONDITIONS ELMIRA ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I SAID NO. THERE WAS A LONG PAUSE AND THAN THE ELMIRA CTLR TOLD ME ITHACA ARPT WAS CLOSED. IT CLOSED 5 MINS AGO. I ASKED WHY WAS THAT NOT TOLD TO ME (VIA A NOTAM) ON ALONG MY RTE OF FLT. HE SAID HE DID NOT KNOW! HE ASKED WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I SAID LAND AT ITHACA. HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO CALL THE ARPT MGR TO GET EQUIP OFF THE RWY. HE SAID DO YOU WANT TO HOLD OVER THE ITHACA VOR. I SAID NO BECAUSE HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THE ARPT MGR COULD BE REACHED TO HAVE THE EQUIP MOVED. HE ASKED HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD. I SAID APPROX 40 MINS. I HAD ABOUT 1.3 HRS MINIMUM; BUT I DID NOT WANT TO USE IT UP HOLDING. I HAD PEOPLE WAITING FOR ME AT ITHACA. I ENDED UP LNDG AT CORTLAND -- 15 MI AWAY ABOUT 5 MINS FLYING TIME. CORTLAND ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT. NO PHONE -- NO SVCS. I USED A PHONE DOWN THE ROAD AFTER WALKING 1/2 MI. I AM UPSET -- THE ITHACA ARPT WAS NOT 'NOTAM' OF ITS INTENDED CLOSING AT APPROX XD00 PM THAT NIGHT. I HEARD AN AIRPLANE TAKE OFF ON TWR FREQ 5 MINS BEFORE ARR. THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN I WAS COMING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED AS WX WAS FORECAST AS SEVERE CLR.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.