Narrative:

A passenger and myself in my aircraft and 4 other people in 2 accompanying aircraft, flew to bennett airport to attend an ARTS and crafts festival on the adjacent jackson mills grounds. The parkersburg FSS was consulted concerning NOTAMS. No NOTAMS had been filed concerning bennett airport. The WX was excellent (no ceiling and 20+ mi visibility) and forecast to stay that way, so we departed. At approximately XX00 hours local time, I entered the bennett airport traffic pattern on the upwind leg, with the other aircraft following. I noticed that cars were being parked on the airport grounds (not on the runway). I also noted that the personnel responsible for crowd control were clearing people back from the runway and the flow of vehicles was being halted. I proceeded to land as did the other aircraft. Once on the ground we were informed that the airport had been closed. We asked another aircraft in the traffic pattern to contact charleston FSS, he did so and indicated the bennett airport was not listed as being closed. We discussed with the organizers the steps involved in closing the airport, told them once it was closed the runway should be marked with an 'X' at each end, and that steps should be taken to correct an already dangerous situation. We indicated we would like to stay to see the show and were told that would be fine but when ready to leave we should contact those in charge to maintain safety during our departure. At approximately BB00 hours local time, we informed the organizers that we were ready to depart. Once they had cleared the people back they escorted us down the runway to the end away from the parking area. We had chosen to taxi to the opposite end of the runway because the parking activity only occurred along approximately 1/3 of the runway's length and this would allow each of the aircraft involved to be airborne and turn out before the parking area. We hoped in this way to add more safety to the situation. When we reached the opposite end of the runway we were 'pulled over' by a west virginia state trooper who wanted to know what we thought we were doing and couldn't we see the airport had been closed (he pointed to an 'X' which had been placed at the end of the runway in our absence). We told him of the day's events and that we didn't believe the airport to actually be closed. He told us to depart immediately, we did so at approximately BB30 hours local time. On our return trip we checked again with parkersburg FSS and found that bennett airport was now closed and that a NOTAM had been issued between the time of our arrival at bennett airport and the time of our departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDED AT CLOSED ARPT. NO NOTAM REGARDING CLOSING. AT TKOF TIME NOTAM HAD BEEN FILED AND X PLACED ON RWY.

Narrative: A PAX AND MYSELF IN MY ACFT AND 4 OTHER PEOPLE IN 2 ACCOMPANYING ACFT, FLEW TO BENNETT ARPT TO ATTEND AN ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL ON THE ADJACENT JACKSON MILLS GNDS. THE PARKERSBURG FSS WAS CONSULTED CONCERNING NOTAMS. NO NOTAMS HAD BEEN FILED CONCERNING BENNETT ARPT. THE WX WAS EXCELLENT (NO CEILING AND 20+ MI VISIBILITY) AND FORECAST TO STAY THAT WAY, SO WE DEPARTED. AT APPROX XX00 HRS LCL TIME, I ENTERED THE BENNETT ARPT TFC PATTERN ON THE UPWIND LEG, WITH THE OTHER ACFT FOLLOWING. I NOTICED THAT CARS WERE BEING PARKED ON THE ARPT GNDS (NOT ON THE RWY). I ALSO NOTED THAT THE PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR CROWD CONTROL WERE CLEARING PEOPLE BACK FROM THE RWY AND THE FLOW OF VEHICLES WAS BEING HALTED. I PROCEEDED TO LAND AS DID THE OTHER ACFT. ONCE ON THE GND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ARPT HAD BEEN CLOSED. WE ASKED ANOTHER ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN TO CONTACT CHARLESTON FSS, HE DID SO AND INDICATED THE BENNETT ARPT WAS NOT LISTED AS BEING CLOSED. WE DISCUSSED WITH THE ORGANIZERS THE STEPS INVOLVED IN CLOSING THE ARPT, TOLD THEM ONCE IT WAS CLOSED THE RWY SHOULD BE MARKED WITH AN 'X' AT EACH END, AND THAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CORRECT AN ALREADY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WE INDICATED WE WOULD LIKE TO STAY TO SEE THE SHOW AND WERE TOLD THAT WOULD BE FINE BUT WHEN READY TO LEAVE WE SHOULD CONTACT THOSE IN CHARGE TO MAINTAIN SAFETY DURING OUR DEP. AT APPROX BB00 HRS LCL TIME, WE INFORMED THE ORGANIZERS THAT WE WERE READY TO DEPART. ONCE THEY HAD CLRED THE PEOPLE BACK THEY ESCORTED US DOWN THE RWY TO THE END AWAY FROM THE PARKING AREA. WE HAD CHOSEN TO TAXI TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY BECAUSE THE PARKING ACTIVITY ONLY OCCURRED ALONG APPROX 1/3 OF THE RWY'S LENGTH AND THIS WOULD ALLOW EACH OF THE ACFT INVOLVED TO BE AIRBORNE AND TURN OUT BEFORE THE PARKING AREA. WE HOPED IN THIS WAY TO ADD MORE SAFETY TO THE SITUATION. WHEN WE REACHED THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY WE WERE 'PULLED OVER' BY A WEST VIRGINIA STATE TROOPER WHO WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE DOING AND COULDN'T WE SEE THE ARPT HAD BEEN CLOSED (HE POINTED TO AN 'X' WHICH HAD BEEN PLACED AT THE END OF THE RWY IN OUR ABSENCE). WE TOLD HIM OF THE DAY'S EVENTS AND THAT WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THE ARPT TO ACTUALLY BE CLOSED. HE TOLD US TO DEPART IMMEDIATELY, WE DID SO AT APPROX BB30 HRS LCL TIME. ON OUR RETURN TRIP WE CHECKED AGAIN WITH PARKERSBURG FSS AND FOUND THAT BENNETT ARPT WAS NOW CLOSED AND THAT A NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED BETWEEN THE TIME OF OUR ARR AT BENNETT ARPT AND THE TIME OF OUR DEP.

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.