Narrative:

I clearly would like to assure any and all parties that may have access to this statement that I have not violated any far's pertaining to the operations. I was operating under part 91. The reason I'm filing this report is my name and aircraft are being turned in by some local authority that does not know the particular fed laws that govern the event. On 10/sat/89, around XX45 pm, I approached hattenas, nc, airport (billy mitchell, unlit). Sunset that day was approximately XX25 pm. As I approached the airport I could see numerous emergency lights (red and blue). I started circling the airport and at the same time I radioed on 122.9 to see if any aircraft were monitoring the frequency. At this time a helicopter radioed and stated he was approaching hatteras, but was out approximately 15 mi. I asked him if he had means of ground communications. He replied yes. I asked him to contact ground personnel to be sure I was not interfering with the emergency operations. He came back about a min later and stated it was fine to land, and that they would remove a veh from the end of the runway. When I landed I called the helicopter and asked if he would like me to stay at the opp end of the runway before back-taxiing (thinking he was getting close), so as not to interfere. He said it was ok to taxi onto the ramp. When I did, a police veh came onto the runway and followed me to the ramp. I got out of my aircraft and his quote was, 'I'm the sheriff of this county, and you better have a good reason to have land here for this airport is closed 30 mins after sunset.' he asked me if I knew I was in violation, and I stated no, not knowing for sure at the time the regulation on landing at an unlit runway under part 91. I was told by an instrument earlier that evening that it was not illegal to land west/O landing lights. It was approximately 20-25 mins after sunset. The sheriff and forest ranger took my license # and address and released me. Out of concern that I possibly could have violated a far, I declined to takeoff and got a motel room and left the next morning. Also, I would like to reemphasize I spoke with the emergency aircraft picking up someone several times and he assured and reassured me I was not interfering with his operation and confirmed this with his ground personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LANDED AT 8W5 AFTER ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT.

Narrative: I CLEARLY WOULD LIKE TO ASSURE ANY AND ALL PARTIES THAT MAY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS STATEMENT THAT I HAVE NOT VIOLATED ANY FAR'S PERTAINING TO THE OPS. I WAS OPERATING UNDER PART 91. THE REASON I'M FILING THIS RPT IS MY NAME AND ACFT ARE BEING TURNED IN BY SOME LCL AUTHORITY THAT DOES NOT KNOW THE PARTICULAR FED LAWS THAT GOVERN THE EVENT. ON 10/SAT/89, AROUND XX45 PM, I APCHED HATTENAS, NC, ARPT (BILLY MITCHELL, UNLIT). SUNSET THAT DAY WAS APPROX XX25 PM. AS I APCHED THE ARPT I COULD SEE NUMEROUS EMER LIGHTS (RED AND BLUE). I STARTED CIRCLING THE ARPT AND AT THE SAME TIME I RADIOED ON 122.9 TO SEE IF ANY ACFT WERE MONITORING THE FREQ. AT THIS TIME A HELI RADIOED AND STATED HE WAS APCHING HATTERAS, BUT WAS OUT APPROX 15 MI. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD MEANS OF GND COMS. HE REPLIED YES. I ASKED HIM TO CONTACT GND PERSONNEL TO BE SURE I WAS NOT INTERFERING WITH THE EMER OPS. HE CAME BACK ABOUT A MIN LATER AND STATED IT WAS FINE TO LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD REMOVE A VEH FROM THE END OF THE RWY. WHEN I LANDED I CALLED THE HELI AND ASKED IF HE WOULD LIKE ME TO STAY AT THE OPP END OF THE RWY BEFORE BACK-TAXIING (THINKING HE WAS GETTING CLOSE), SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE. HE SAID IT WAS OK TO TAXI ONTO THE RAMP. WHEN I DID, A POLICE VEH CAME ONTO THE RWY AND FOLLOWED ME TO THE RAMP. I GOT OUT OF MY ACFT AND HIS QUOTE WAS, 'I'M THE SHERIFF OF THIS COUNTY, AND YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON TO HAVE LAND HERE FOR THIS ARPT IS CLOSED 30 MINS AFTER SUNSET.' HE ASKED ME IF I KNEW I WAS IN VIOLATION, AND I STATED NO, NOT KNOWING FOR SURE AT THE TIME THE REG ON LNDG AT AN UNLIT RWY UNDER PART 91. I WAS TOLD BY AN INSTR EARLIER THAT EVENING THAT IT WAS NOT ILLEGAL TO LAND W/O LNDG LIGHTS. IT WAS APPROX 20-25 MINS AFTER SUNSET. THE SHERIFF AND FOREST RANGER TOOK MY LICENSE # AND ADDRESS AND RELEASED ME. OUT OF CONCERN THAT I POSSIBLY COULD HAVE VIOLATED A FAR, I DECLINED TO TKOF AND GOT A MOTEL ROOM AND LEFT THE NEXT MORNING. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO REEMPHASIZE I SPOKE WITH THE EMER ACFT PICKING UP SOMEONE SEVERAL TIMES AND HE ASSURED AND REASSURED ME I WAS NOT INTERFERING WITH HIS OPERATION AND CONFIRMED THIS WITH HIS GND PERSONNEL.

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.