PLT OF HOMEBUILT SMA MADE SHORT LNDG AT HIO AT DUSK. WHEN TURNING OFF RWY; ENCOUNTERED WORKERS PREPARING TO CONDUCT RWY MAINT NOTAMED TO BEGIN 40 MINS LATER.
Synopsis
PLT OF HOMEBUILT SMA MADE SHORT LNDG AT HIO AT DUSK. WHEN TURNING OFF RWY; ENCOUNTERED WORKERS PREPARING TO CONDUCT RWY MAINT NOTAMED TO BEGIN 40 MINS LATER.
Narrative
LNDG AT HIO AT DUSK; UNDER TWR CTL; WAS AWARE VIA NOTAM THAT THE RWY WOULD BE CLOSING AT XA00 DUE TO CONSTRUCTION WORK BEING DONE OVERNIGHT. HAD CLRNC FROM TWR TO LAND; AND PERFORMED A RELATIVELY SHORT APCH AND LNDG; BRAKING SLIGHTLY TO MAKE THE FIRST TURNOFF TO INTXN BRAVO AND MY HANGAR. WAS LATE DUSK; SO I COULDN'T SEE MUCH OF ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE FIELD OF MY LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS. THE PLANE IS A TAILWHEEL MODEL; SO DIRECT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED. JUST AS I WAS MAKING THE 90 DEG TURN INTO THE TXWY; I SAW 3 ORANGE-VESTED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS RUNNING OUT OF MY WAY ON THE TXWY; ON THE RWY SIDE OF THE HOLD LINE; ABOUT 25-35 FT AWAY. AT THE TIME; I WAS STILL SLOWING AND GOING PROBABLY 20 MPH. I BRAKED TO AVOID THEM THOUGH THEY WERE MORE OR LESS OUT OF THE WAY BY THE TIME I SAW THEM. I SAID TO THE TWR 'HEY; THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE.' HE SAID 'OH; YES; THEY MUST BE GETTING READY TO START WORK.' I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE RULES FOR SUCH ACTIVITY; BUT I THINK CONSTRUCTION WORKERS SHOULD NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE RWY OR ADJACENT TURNOFFS OF AN ACTIVE RWY; PARTICULARLY AFTER DARK WHEN VISIBILITY IS LIMITED. I BELIEVE THE WORKERS PERHAPS HAD SEEN OTHER PLANES LNDG AND GOING BEYOND THE FIRST TURN AND WERE COMPLACENT AS A RESULT; NOT REALIZING SOME WOULD TURN EARLY. I WAS NOT INFORMED BY THE TWR THAT THERE WOULD BE WORKERS ON THE RWY PRIOR TO THE XA00 RWY CLOSING. THE TWR SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT; AT LEAST. FOR MY PART; I SHOULD HAVE COME TO A FULL STOP WHEN I SAW THE PEOPLE; INSTEAD OF JUST BRAKING; THEN MOVING ON WHEN I SAW THAT THEY WERE OUT OF THE WAY. THEY DID WAVE TO ME AS IF TO SAY 'WE'RE CLR;' BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED THAT AND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED TO CHK FOR ANY FURTHER HAZARDS. SINCE THERE WERE NONE (HAZARDS) THINGS TURNED OUT OKAY; BUT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN I'D WANT TO BE SURE BEFORE PROCEEDING.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.