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Uncontrolled airport occupied with parked automobiles preventing aircraft from landing. No NOTAM issued.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 124673 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198909 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 491 |
| State Reference | WV |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 635 |
| ASRS Report | 124673 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
After departing fairmont, wv (4g7), I requested and received traffic advisories from clarksburg approach en route to my destination, bennett field. Upon arrival at bennett, I could see dozens of vehicles parked right up to the edge of the paved runway, with other vehicles and people moving about on the runway. There were no X's on the runway to indicate closure. I asked clarksburg approach if they were aware of the airport being closed. They were not, and asked me to stand by while they contacted elkins FSS. Elkins FSS said no NOTAMS had been filed regarding closing bennett field. I circled the airport 3 times, then determined it would be unsafe for me and the people on the ground if I attempted to land. I left the area and returned to fairmont. Public owned airports built with federal monies should not be turned into parking lots. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: there was a trade fair adjacent to the airport. The automatic parking on bennett airport was controled. Whoever put on the trade fair evidently did not know enough to file a NOTAM.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: UNCONTROLLED ARPT OCCUPIED WITH PARKED AUTOMOBILES PREVENTING ACFT FROM LNDG. NO NOTAM ISSUED.
Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING FAIRMONT, WV (4G7), I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED TFC ADVISORIES FROM CLARKSBURG APCH ENRTE TO MY DEST, BENNETT FIELD. UPON ARR AT BENNETT, I COULD SEE DOZENS OF VEHICLES PARKED RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF THE PAVED RWY, WITH OTHER VEHICLES AND PEOPLE MOVING ABOUT ON THE RWY. THERE WERE NO X'S ON THE RWY TO INDICATE CLOSURE. I ASKED CLARKSBURG APCH IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ARPT BEING CLOSED. THEY WERE NOT, AND ASKED ME TO STAND BY WHILE THEY CONTACTED ELKINS FSS. ELKINS FSS SAID NO NOTAMS HAD BEEN FILED REGARDING CLOSING BENNETT FIELD. I CIRCLED THE ARPT 3 TIMES, THEN DETERMINED IT WOULD BE UNSAFE FOR ME AND THE PEOPLE ON THE GND IF I ATTEMPTED TO LAND. I LEFT THE AREA AND RETURNED TO FAIRMONT. PUBLIC OWNED ARPTS BUILT WITH FEDERAL MONIES SHOULD NOT BE TURNED INTO PARKING LOTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THERE WAS A TRADE FAIR ADJACENT TO THE ARPT. THE AUTO PARKING ON BENNETT ARPT WAS CTLED. WHOEVER PUT ON THE TRADE FAIR EVIDENTLY DID NOT KNOW ENOUGH TO FILE A NOTAM.
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.