Narrative:

While flying in the vicinity of mc ville airport, I decided to fly to butler to see the new WX computer system. En route, I listened to the CTAF for butler, 122.8, and heard aircraft announcing takeoffs and lndgs on runway 26 at butler. Upon arrival, I announced on the radio entry into the traffic pattern for runway 26 and entered the downwind for that runway at a 45 degree angle. I noticed an aircraft at approximately 100' which had apparently just taken off from runway 26. This tended to confirm my belief that runway 26 was the active runway. I continued my downwind and announced on the radio a left base for runway 26. I then noticed machinery at the overrun of runway 26 sitting on the #'south. I also noticed a car come off the taxiway, onto the runway and then into the overrun. The car stopped in the overrun. I announced on the radio that I was on final for runway 26 and lined up with that runway. It then appeared that this runway's threshold bars began halfway down the runway. I assumed that the beginning part of the runway was closed and therefore landed beyond the threshold bars. At no time did I see any markings on the runway to indicate it was closed for its entire length. At no time did I receive a radio message that runway 26 was closed. I proceeded to the pilot shop and was confronted by an engineer who told me I had landed on a closed runway. On departing, this time using the taxiway for runway 26 after observing other aircraft using the taxiway, I noticed at the end of runway 26 that there was a dark orange X that was not very noticeable. It appeared to be made out of line and was located at the threshold of runway 8. During this time, there was a woman on the unicom but she made no attempt to tell me that runway 26 was closed and that the parallel taxiway was being used instead. I saw no X prior to landing, just vehicles at the overrun. This incident was created because a runway was apparently closed at an uncontrolled field west/O placing clear markings on the runway to indicate its status. This was further compounded by all the aircraft using the airport and the airport unicom transmitting that runway 25 was active west/O indicating that in fact lndgs and takeoffs were being made from the taxiway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter would only say 'talk to my lawyer.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDED AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT ON RWY WITH CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS, OBSCURED X, NOT VERY NOTICEABLE. TRAFFIC USING PARALLEL TXWY FOR LNDG AND TKOF. NOTAM REGARDING RWY CLOSED HAD BEEN ISSUED.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING IN THE VICINITY OF MC VILLE ARPT, I DECIDED TO FLY TO BUTLER TO SEE THE NEW WX COMPUTER SYS. ENRTE, I LISTENED TO THE CTAF FOR BUTLER, 122.8, AND HEARD ACFT ANNOUNCING TKOFS AND LNDGS ON RWY 26 AT BUTLER. UPON ARR, I ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO ENTRY INTO THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 26 AND ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FOR THAT RWY AT A 45 DEG ANGLE. I NOTICED AN ACFT AT APPROX 100' WHICH HAD APPARENTLY JUST TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 26. THIS TENDED TO CONFIRM MY BELIEF THAT RWY 26 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. I CONTINUED MY DOWNWIND AND ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO A LEFT BASE FOR RWY 26. I THEN NOTICED MACHINERY AT THE OVERRUN OF RWY 26 SITTING ON THE #'S. I ALSO NOTICED A CAR COME OFF THE TXWY, ONTO THE RWY AND THEN INTO THE OVERRUN. THE CAR STOPPED IN THE OVERRUN. I ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO THAT I WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 26 AND LINED UP WITH THAT RWY. IT THEN APPEARED THAT THIS RWY'S THRESHOLD BARS BEGAN HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY. I ASSUMED THAT THE BEGINNING PART OF THE RWY WAS CLOSED AND THEREFORE LANDED BEYOND THE THRESHOLD BARS. AT NO TIME DID I SEE ANY MARKINGS ON THE RWY TO INDICATE IT WAS CLOSED FOR ITS ENTIRE LENGTH. AT NO TIME DID I RECEIVE A RADIO MESSAGE THAT RWY 26 WAS CLOSED. I PROCEEDED TO THE PLT SHOP AND WAS CONFRONTED BY AN ENGINEER WHO TOLD ME I HAD LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY. ON DEPARTING, THIS TIME USING THE TXWY FOR RWY 26 AFTER OBSERVING OTHER ACFT USING THE TXWY, I NOTICED AT THE END OF RWY 26 THAT THERE WAS A DARK ORANGE X THAT WAS NOT VERY NOTICEABLE. IT APPEARED TO BE MADE OUT OF LINE AND WAS LOCATED AT THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 8. DURING THIS TIME, THERE WAS A WOMAN ON THE UNICOM BUT SHE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO TELL ME THAT RWY 26 WAS CLOSED AND THAT THE PARALLEL TXWY WAS BEING USED INSTEAD. I SAW NO X PRIOR TO LNDG, JUST VEHICLES AT THE OVERRUN. THIS INCIDENT WAS CREATED BECAUSE A RWY WAS APPARENTLY CLOSED AT AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD W/O PLACING CLEAR MARKINGS ON THE RWY TO INDICATE ITS STATUS. THIS WAS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY ALL THE ACFT USING THE ARPT AND THE ARPT UNICOM XMITTING THAT RWY 25 WAS ACTIVE W/O INDICATING THAT IN FACT LNDGS AND TKOFS WERE BEING MADE FROM THE TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER WOULD ONLY SAY 'TALK TO MY LAWYER.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.