LNDG ON CLOSED RWY.
Synopsis
LNDG ON CLOSED RWY.
Narrative
NOTAM CLOSURE OF SJC RWY 30L-12R WAS RECEIVED FROM FSS PRIOR TO DEP. I ASKED AT END OF BRIEFING AGAIN TO VERIFY CLOSURE WAS 30 LEFT; FROM MIDNIGHT TO 6 AM; SINCE THIS IS THE ILS RWY. I EXPECTED TO ARR AFTER TWR CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT. DEPARTED 3S2 ARPT AT PM PDT. UPON CHKING IN WITH BAY APCH AT ABOUT AM PDT; ATC ADVISED OF TWR ALREADY CLOSED; NO ATCS; RWY 30L-12R CLOSED. NO SURPRISES THERE. WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT; I CANCELLED IFR FLT PLAN. BAY ADVISED 1200 SQUAWK; FREQ CHANGE TO CTAF. MY CALL OF 'LEFT DOWNWARD FOR 30 RIGHT' RWY WAS ANSWERED BY AN UNIDENTIFIED VOICE; ADVISING ME THAT 'THE RIGHT RWY'S LIGHTS ARE OFF AND IT'S CLOSED. THE LEFT HAS LIGHTS.' I COUNTERED THAT I'D RECEIVED NOTAM OF CLOSURE ON LEFT RWY. HE REPLIED; 'YOU ARE RIGHT; BUT THE LEFT RWY HAS LIGHTS.' (HIS USE OF 'RIGHT' MEANT 'CORRECT.') I LANDED ON THE LEFT RWY W/O INCIDENT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. 1) I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THE IDENTITY OF THE RADIO REPLY AT SJC AND WHETHER HE HAD USED THE RWY. 2) I SHOULD HAVE CALLED APCH TO CLARIFY RWY AVAILABILITY. FAILING RESOLUTION; THERE WERE PLENTY OF VFR ALTERNATES FROM WHICH TO TAXICAB TO SJC. 3) BEING BASED AT SJC; I AM WELL AWARE OF CONSTRUCTION ON RWY 29. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN EQUIPMENT ON 30L. 4) FATIGUE OF COURSE PROBABLY ACCOUNTS FOR A LARGE PORTION OF MISJUDGMENTS HERE. THE FLT WAS 2 PLUS 30 WITH A CABIN ALT MOSTLY AT 8000'. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING. RPTR STATES AFTER THE FACT HE REALIZED HE MADE A WRONG CHOICE. BELIEVES THE FACT BAY APCH HAD VECTORED HIM ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THE ACTUAL APCH WAS FROM AN UNFAMILIAR POS AND DIRECTION WAS MUCH OF A PROBLEM. FATIGUE WAS AN ADDITIONAL FACTOR. DOES NOT KNOW WHO GAVE INFO ON CTAF RE: LIGHTS ON LEFT RWY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.