AN IFR PA32 PLT MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG WITH AN ILL PAX. HE DISCOVERED THE ARPT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED WHEN HE FILED TO HIS DEST.

Date: 2006-08 · Aircraft: PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga/6X · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-illness-injury|ground-event-encounter-other-unknown|ground-incursion-runway

Synopsis

AN IFR PA32 PLT MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG WITH AN ILL PAX. HE DISCOVERED THE ARPT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED WHEN HE FILED TO HIS DEST.

Narrative

DEPARTED ZZZ1 ON IFR FLT TO ZZZ2; ABOUT 2 HR FLT. LEVELED AT 7000 FT AND WAS HANDED OFF FROM CTR TO ABC APCH. AT THAT POINT; MY SON (PAX) STARTED COMPLAINING OF INTESTINAL DISTRESS AND ASKED IF WE COULD LAND. GPS SHOWED ZZZ3 AS CLOSEST ARPT. I ADVISED APCH OF OUR SITUATION AND THEY ALSO POINTED OUT ZZZ3; BEHIND US BY ABOUT 4 MI. WE WERE ON TOP OF A SCATTERED LAYER WITH GOOD VISIBILITY UNDERNEATH SO I REQUESTED THE VISUAL TO ZZZ3. I WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 4000 FT DIRECT ZZZ3. CHKING ZZZ3 ASOS; WX WAS ABOUT 4000 FT BROKEN; 10 MI VISIBILITY. THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL WARNINGS ON THE ASOS. BROKE OUT; CANCELED IFR AND SET UP FOR LNDG. THERE WAS 1 ACFT IN THE PATTERN; LANDED NORMALLY. NO X'S ON RWY; NO EQUIP WORKING ANYWHERE; NO SIGNS OR NOTES AT PLT LOUNGE. 2 MORE ACFT ARRIVED AND DEPARTED WHILE I WAS THERE. WHEN I CALLED FSS TO RE-FILE; THEY ADVISED ZZZ3 RWY WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. THE SPECIALIST CONTACTED THE CITY; WHO ADVISED THAT NOTAM SHOULD BE CANCELED. SPECIALIST SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO FILE A RPT SINCE I HAD LANDED AT A 'CLOSED' ARPT AND ASKED IF I HAD RECEIVED NOTAM. SINCE ZZZ3 WAS FAR ENOUGH FROM DEP AND DEST; I WAS UNAWARE OF CLOSURE. WHILE I UNDERSTAND MY RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN ALL PERTINENT INFO PRIOR TO FLT; IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT I HAVE THAT INFO FOR ANY POSSIBLE ARPT ALONG A 280 NM RTE.

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