Narrative:

Marathon airport (mth), marathon, fl. Runway construction is taking place starting approximately mid-june and lasting estimated 120 days. Our one runway notamed with miami FSS runway 7 threshold is displaced 1000' because of construction, runway 25 is closed, with no one apparently knowing why, no construction is taking place on 25. This leaves us with only 1 runway that's legal to use -- runway 7. NOTAM closing runway 25 is placed in effect approximately june/fri or sat or so. Prevailing winds favor runway 7 normally. However, over holiday weekend, major storm system stayed over south florida and winds changed to coming from the west at 10-15 KTS. This leaves our only legal runway 7 but with a 10-15 KT tailwind. On monday, after taking off downwind on 7 because that's the only legal runway and flying for approximately 1 hour, I returned to marathon airport for landing only to find winds have increased to 10-15 KTS from 270 degree even though runway 25 was closed by NOTAM. I landed on it because I felt it totally unsafe to land on 7. I was not the only pilot using 25 though, all 3 airlines serving marathon elected to ignore the NOTAM for safety reasons. A few people felt that obeying the NOTAM was more important than safety though, and we ended up with planes trying to land at marathon, both directions, sometimes at the same time. About 90 percent of planes using marathon that day ignored the NOTAM for safety reasons. Thee was no construction activity taking place from sat to tue but NOTAM was left in place. Airport manager was nowhere to be found and NOTAM remained. This created dangerous situation causing pilots either to land in 10-15 KT tailwind or break NOTAM. I was a zoo. Total chaos.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE RWY ARPT. NUMEROUS FLTS LANDED INTO 15 KT HEADWIND ON RWY NOTAMED CLOSED.

Narrative: MARATHON ARPT (MTH), MARATHON, FL. RWY CONSTRUCTION IS TAKING PLACE STARTING APPROX MID-JUNE AND LASTING ESTIMATED 120 DAYS. OUR ONE RWY NOTAMED WITH MIAMI FSS RWY 7 THRESHOLD IS DISPLACED 1000' BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION, RWY 25 IS CLOSED, WITH NO ONE APPARENTLY KNOWING WHY, NO CONSTRUCTION IS TAKING PLACE ON 25. THIS LEAVES US WITH ONLY 1 RWY THAT'S LEGAL TO USE -- RWY 7. NOTAM CLOSING RWY 25 IS PLACED IN EFFECT APPROX JUNE/FRI OR SAT OR SO. PREVAILING WINDS FAVOR RWY 7 NORMALLY. HOWEVER, OVER HOLIDAY WEEKEND, MAJOR STORM SYSTEM STAYED OVER SOUTH FLORIDA AND WINDS CHANGED TO COMING FROM THE WEST AT 10-15 KTS. THIS LEAVES OUR ONLY LEGAL RWY 7 BUT WITH A 10-15 KT TAILWIND. ON MONDAY, AFTER TAKING OFF DOWNWIND ON 7 BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY LEGAL RWY AND FLYING FOR APPROX 1 HR, I RETURNED TO MARATHON ARPT FOR LNDG ONLY TO FIND WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 10-15 KTS FROM 270 DEG EVEN THOUGH RWY 25 WAS CLOSED BY NOTAM. I LANDED ON IT BECAUSE I FELT IT TOTALLY UNSAFE TO LAND ON 7. I WAS NOT THE ONLY PLT USING 25 THOUGH, ALL 3 AIRLINES SERVING MARATHON ELECTED TO IGNORE THE NOTAM FOR SAFETY REASONS. A FEW PEOPLE FELT THAT OBEYING THE NOTAM WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SAFETY THOUGH, AND WE ENDED UP WITH PLANES TRYING TO LAND AT MARATHON, BOTH DIRECTIONS, SOMETIMES AT THE SAME TIME. ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF PLANES USING MARATHON THAT DAY IGNORED THE NOTAM FOR SAFETY REASONS. THEE WAS NO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE FROM SAT TO TUE BUT NOTAM WAS LEFT IN PLACE. ARPT MGR WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND AND NOTAM REMAINED. THIS CREATED DANGEROUS SITUATION CAUSING PLTS EITHER TO LAND IN 10-15 KT TAILWIND OR BREAK NOTAM. I WAS A ZOO. TOTAL CHAOS.

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.