2002-07 · NASA ASRS report 554264
APCH TO A CLOSED ARPT RWY MADE BY A LEAR 45 FLC WAS ABORTED BY A WARNING FROM THE STILL CLOSED TWR AT ASE; CO.
DSNDING FOR ASPEN; CO; SHORTLY BEFORE XA00; WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH OUT OF FL180. SEVERAL MINS LATER; WE WERE GIVEN THE OPTION OF CLOSING THE FLT PLAN AIRBORNE OR A DIFFERENT FREQ TO CLOSE OUT ON THE GND. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND WERE RELEASED TO CTAF. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH CTAF; AT LEAST 2 OTHER ACFT WERE TAXIING FOR DEP. WE ANNOUNCED OUR POS AND INTENTIONS OF LNDG ON RWY 15. AT ABOUT 1 1/2 - 2 MI FINAL; WE WERE INFORMED BY TWR CTL (WHICH WAS NOT YET OPEN) THAT THE TWR WOULD NOT OPEN YET FOR ANOTHER 2 MINS. THIS MADE THE SHORT HAIRS STAND UP BECAUSE THAT IS NOT A NORMAL XMISSION FROM THE CTLR. I THEN ASKED HIM IF THAT PRECLUDED OUR LNDG; AND WAS TOLD THAT; YES; THE ARPT IS CLOSED FOR ANOTHER 2 MINS. WE INITIATED A GAR AND HOPED THAT WE WOULD NOT TRIGGER ANY SOUND-MEASURING EQUIP. SUBSEQUENTLY; WE WENT AND LANDED OUT OF OUR NEXT ATTEMPT AFTER BEING CLRED TO LAND AFTER TWR OPENED. WHERE I BELIEVE I WENT ASTRAY IS FIRST; NOT REMEMBERING THAT THE ARPT DOES NOT OPEN UNTIL TWR OPENS EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A CTAF; AND WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. SECONDLY; EVEN AS I READ THE NOTES ON THE ARPT PLAN VIEW; AS I READ 'ARPT CLOSED XA00 THROUGH XI00' I WAS THINKING ONLY ABOUT THE TWR CLOSURE. MORE ATTN TO DETAIL BOTH DURING PREFLT AND DURING APCH SET-UP AND BRIEF WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED THIS INCIDENT FROM EVER OCCURRING. AS IT WAS; THE SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE KICKED IN THANKS TO SOME CONCERNED TWR CTLRS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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