Narrative:

Made a short flight to solberg airport in readington, nj, to visit an air show that was scheduled to take place there later in the afternoon. Before going, I checked the applicable aviation WX via compuserve information system. As I approached the field, I called for a landing advisory and thought it strange that nobody answered me on unicom. However, that often happens, and I thought that they were just busy doing something else. When I arrived over the field, I noticed that all runways were marked closed except runway 13. Runway 13 is somewhat removed from the rest of the field, so I figured that that was where they wanted planes to land so as to not interfere with the exhibits, etc. I flew a proper pattern announcing my intentions on the radio. After landing and taxiing to a suitable parking place, I was told that the airport was closed for the day. Since the air show hadn't started yet, I immediately took off at the advise of an airport official. Later, I searched the aviation WX network for a NOTAM advising about the airport being closed and found it listed under millville, which is an airport (with an FSS) at the other end of the state of new jersey. I should have checked for NOTAMS before the flight, however had I been looking for the NOTAM, I would have had difficulty finding it there. Suggestions: 1) airport officials should be required to work all runways when airport is closed (and monitor unicom). 2) there ought to be a better way of checking NOTAMS on computer aviation WX services. NOTAMS should also be listed as close as possible to the applicable airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PLT LANDS ON CLOSED ARPT AND BLAMES NOTAM SYSTEM FOR ERROR.

Narrative: MADE A SHORT FLT TO SOLBERG ARPT IN READINGTON, NJ, TO VISIT AN AIR SHOW THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE THERE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. BEFORE GOING, I CHECKED THE APPLICABLE AVIATION WX VIA COMPUSERVE INFO SYSTEM. AS I APCHED THE FIELD, I CALLED FOR A LNDG ADVISORY AND THOUGHT IT STRANGE THAT NOBODY ANSWERED ME ON UNICOM. HOWEVER, THAT OFTEN HAPPENS, AND I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE JUST BUSY DOING SOMETHING ELSE. WHEN I ARRIVED OVER THE FIELD, I NOTICED THAT ALL RWYS WERE MARKED CLOSED EXCEPT RWY 13. RWY 13 IS SOMEWHAT REMOVED FROM THE REST OF THE FIELD, SO I FIGURED THAT THAT WAS WHERE THEY WANTED PLANES TO LAND SO AS TO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE EXHIBITS, ETC. I FLEW A PROPER PATTERN ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS ON THE RADIO. AFTER LNDG AND TAXIING TO A SUITABLE PARKING PLACE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR THE DAY. SINCE THE AIR SHOW HADN'T STARTED YET, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF AT THE ADVISE OF AN ARPT OFFICIAL. LATER, I SEARCHED THE AVIATION WX NETWORK FOR A NOTAM ADVISING ABOUT THE ARPT BEING CLOSED AND FOUND IT LISTED UNDER MILLVILLE, WHICH IS AN ARPT (WITH AN FSS) AT THE OTHER END OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED FOR NOTAMS BEFORE THE FLT, HOWEVER HAD I BEEN LOOKING FOR THE NOTAM, I WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING IT THERE. SUGGESTIONS: 1) ARPT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO WORK ALL RWYS WHEN ARPT IS CLOSED (AND MONITOR UNICOM). 2) THERE OUGHT TO BE A BETTER WAY OF CHECKING NOTAMS ON COMPUTER AVIATION WX SERVICES. NOTAMS SHOULD ALSO BE LISTED AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE APPLICABLE ARPT.

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.