A C172 LANDED AT 1R8 ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. THE RPTR SAW NO X'S ON THE RWY.

Date: 2003-10 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|ground-incursion-runway|other-closed-rwy

Synopsis

A C172 LANDED AT 1R8 ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. THE RPTR SAW NO X'S ON THE RWY.

Narrative

ON THE SECOND LEG OF A FLT FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA; I PLANNED A FUEL STOP AT BAY MINETTE MUNICIPAL ARPT (1R8); ALABAMA. BOTH THE SECTIONAL CHART AND THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY INDICATED FUEL WOULD BE AVAILABLE. AT 5 MI OUT; I CALLED FOR A TA AND RWY IN USE. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I CALLED AGAIN AT 3 MI OUT AND AGAIN NO RESPONSE. I ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 ON A 45 DEG APCH AND ANNOUNCED MY ENTRY INTO THE PATTERN. I COULD CLRLY SEE THE RWY HAD NO TFC ON IT AND THERE WERE NO YELLOW X'S ON THE RWY. THE WHITE NUMBERS AND USUAL MARKINGS WERE CLR. I ANNOUNCED MY TURN TO FINAL AND LANDED. I TAXIED TO THE FUEL PUMP. AT THAT POINT A MAN INFORMED US THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION. I WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED IF I HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED EITHER BY RADIO OR BY YELLOW X'S ON THE RWY. A FEW MINS LATER THE FBO ARRIVED AND OPENED THE OFFICE. HE SAID THE ARPT HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR 3 WKS. HE FUELED THE PLANE AND SUGGESTED THAT WE GET PERMISSION FROM THE CONSTRUCTION CREW BEFORE TAKING OFF; WHICH WE DID. I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE TO DO A FLY-OVER OF AN ARPT TO OBSERVE THE SIT ON THE GND MORE CLOSELY BEFORE ENTERING THE PATTERN; ESPECIALLY WHEN I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM THE GND OR OTHER TFC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 598232: THE FBO REQUESTED THAT I ACCOMPANY HIM TO OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS BEFORE TAKING OFF. WE DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH 3 DIFFERENT EQUIP OPERATORS AND THEY AGREED THAT I COULD TAKE OFF AND THEY WOULD CEASE WORKING AND STAY CLR OF THE RWY UNTIL I DEPARTED.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.