Narrative:

I landed at an airport (9b4) that was closed. The current ny sectional chart shows that the airport is open and usable. I received a standard briefing from bridgeport FSS and was told that there were no NOTAMS for 9b4. I received radar advisories from bos approach control and advised them of my destination. Only the airport/facility directory gives any clue as to the fact that the airport is closed. Attached are photocopies of the '1 jun 89,' '20 oct 1988,' and '28 aug 1986' issues of the airport/facility directory. There are no runway markings at the airport showing that the runway/airport is closed! The runway should be clearly marked, showing that the runway is closed. Airports having closed runways, even those closed for only short periods of time, should have runway markings such as those shown in the current aim (copies attached, paragraph 60 and figure 2-14). This is especially important at uncontrolled airports. Short term closing could be marked using rolls of colored plastic sheeting, laid out as an 'X' at the ends of closed runways. Long term closings should have the 'X's' painted in place. Federal or state law should required airport mgrsecond officerwners to comply with the above suggestion. Also having a diagonal line drawn through the airport's listing in the airport/facility directory would be helpful in drawing attention to the fact that the airport is closed. I really feel that the runway markings are very important. Some yrs ago at my home field (uncontrolled off-season) a commuter airline landed on the main runway which was temporarily closed while electricians were working on the runway lights. There were no temporary markings and for some reason (FSS computer 'down) the pilot did not receive the NOTAM. At the shirley airport, where I landed, everything looked normal from the air--people working near hangars outside, aircraft on tie-downs, etc--but when I got on the ground I thought I had flown into an ancient ruin. Before I flew into shirley I did glance at the airport/facility directory, but only really looked at the runway length, direction and CTAF frequency. At first glance it just looked like another little, uncontrolled field.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDED AT CLOSED ARPT. STATES NO CLOSED SIGNS AT END OF RWY.

Narrative: I LANDED AT AN ARPT (9B4) THAT WAS CLOSED. THE CURRENT NY SECTIONAL CHART SHOWS THAT THE ARPT IS OPEN AND USABLE. I RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING FROM BRIDGEPORT FSS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO NOTAMS FOR 9B4. I RECEIVED RADAR ADVISORIES FROM BOS APCH CTL AND ADVISED THEM OF MY DEST. ONLY THE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY GIVES ANY CLUE AS TO THE FACT THAT THE ARPT IS CLOSED. ATTACHED ARE PHOTOCOPIES OF THE '1 JUN 89,' '20 OCT 1988,' AND '28 AUG 1986' ISSUES OF THE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY. THERE ARE NO RWY MARKINGS AT THE ARPT SHOWING THAT THE RWY/ARPT IS CLOSED! THE RWY SHOULD BE CLEARLY MARKED, SHOWING THAT THE RWY IS CLOSED. ARPTS HAVING CLOSED RWYS, EVEN THOSE CLOSED FOR ONLY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, SHOULD HAVE RWY MARKINGS SUCH AS THOSE SHOWN IN THE CURRENT AIM (COPIES ATTACHED, PARAGRAPH 60 AND FIGURE 2-14). THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AT UNCONTROLLED ARPTS. SHORT TERM CLOSING COULD BE MARKED USING ROLLS OF COLORED PLASTIC SHEETING, LAID OUT AS AN 'X' AT THE ENDS OF CLOSED RWYS. LONG TERM CLOSINGS SHOULD HAVE THE 'X'S' PAINTED IN PLACE. FEDERAL OR STATE LAW SHOULD REQUIRED ARPT MGRS/OWNERS TO COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE SUGGESTION. ALSO HAVING A DIAGONAL LINE DRAWN THROUGH THE ARPT'S LISTING IN THE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY WOULD BE HELPFUL IN DRAWING ATTN TO THE FACT THAT THE ARPT IS CLOSED. I REALLY FEEL THAT THE RWY MARKINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. SOME YRS AGO AT MY HOME FIELD (UNCONTROLLED OFF-SEASON) A COMMUTER AIRLINE LANDED ON THE MAIN RWY WHICH WAS TEMPORARILY CLOSED WHILE ELECTRICIANS WERE WORKING ON THE RWY LIGHTS. THERE WERE NO TEMPORARY MARKINGS AND FOR SOME REASON (FSS COMPUTER 'DOWN) THE PLT DID NOT RECEIVE THE NOTAM. AT THE SHIRLEY ARPT, WHERE I LANDED, EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL FROM THE AIR--PEOPLE WORKING NEAR HANGARS OUTSIDE, ACFT ON TIE-DOWNS, ETC--BUT WHEN I GOT ON THE GND I THOUGHT I HAD FLOWN INTO AN ANCIENT RUIN. BEFORE I FLEW INTO SHIRLEY I DID GLANCE AT THE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY, BUT ONLY REALLY LOOKED AT THE RWY LENGTH, DIRECTION AND CTAF FREQ. AT FIRST GLANCE IT JUST LOOKED LIKE ANOTHER LITTLE, UNCONTROLLED FIELD.

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.