Narrative:

While flying x-country from johnny cake ap, ct to york ap, PA, had a minor problem and decided to stop at crumling, PA, private airstrip. Located the field on the washington sectional obsolete 3/X/9A. Confirmed location between a major highway and normal road with power lines located at the end of the airstrip using dead reckoning flying time and distance acquired the strip visually. I noted hangars located adjacent to the field which appeared to be a runway environment from the air. Called on unicom 122.8 of my intention to land at crumling private strip and flew a normal pattern and landing until short final. I noticed wires strung across the perceived runway unable to climb over wires. I landed under the wires and rolled out, stopping the aircraft short of a chain stretched across the airstrip. After landing I was informed by a person standing by a hangar that the strip I was looking for was 1-2 mi north of this ex-airport, now an industrial park. The hellam police and the FAA were notified of my landing at the industrial park while I waited for their arrival. The FAA inspector cleared me to take off from the field after obtaining clearance. The remainder of my flight was uneventful. I believe that even though this field had not been a functional airfield for many yrs it still should have had large X's marked on it to distinguish it from the private airstrip in close proximity or marked on the map. A pilot with less experience might have had an aircraft accident. Enclosed is a copy of a map used in flight. Ask yourself how many old airfields have been turned into industrial parks that are close to existing airstrips, or when should an old airstrip not be marked visually as being abandoned even though it appears to be a runway from the air?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING X-COUNTRY FROM JOHNNY CAKE AP, CT TO YORK AP, PA, HAD A MINOR PROB AND DECIDED TO STOP AT CRUMLING, PA, PVT AIRSTRIP. LOCATED THE FIELD ON THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL OBSOLETE 3/X/9A. CONFIRMED LOCATION BTWN A MAJOR HWY AND NORMAL ROAD WITH PWR LINES LOCATED AT THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP USING DEAD RECKONING FLYING TIME AND DISTANCE ACQUIRED THE STRIP VISUALLY. I NOTED HANGARS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE FIELD WHICH APPEARED TO BE A RWY ENVIRONMENT FROM THE AIR. CALLED ON UNICOM 122.8 OF MY INTENTION TO LAND AT CRUMLING PVT STRIP AND FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN AND LNDG UNTIL SHORT FINAL. I NOTICED WIRES STRUNG ACROSS THE PERCEIVED RWY UNABLE TO CLB OVER WIRES. I LANDED UNDER THE WIRES AND ROLLED OUT, STOPPING THE ACFT SHORT OF A CHAIN STRETCHED ACROSS THE AIRSTRIP. AFTER LNDG I WAS INFORMED BY A PERSON STANDING BY A HANGAR THAT THE STRIP I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS 1-2 MI N OF THIS EX-ARPT, NOW AN INDUSTRIAL PARK. THE HELLAM POLICE AND THE FAA WERE NOTIFIED OF MY LNDG AT THE INDUSTRIAL PARK WHILE I WAITED FOR THEIR ARR. THE FAA INSPECTOR CLRED ME TO TAKE OFF FROM THE FIELD AFTER OBTAINING CLRNC. THE REMAINDER OF MY FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS FIELD HAD NOT BEEN A FUNCTIONAL AIRFIELD FOR MANY YRS IT STILL SHOULD HAVE HAD LARGE X'S MARKED ON IT TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM THE PVT AIRSTRIP IN CLOSE PROX OR MARKED ON THE MAP. A PLT WITH LESS EXPERIENCE MIGHT HAVE HAD AN ACFT ACCIDENT. ENCLOSED IS A COPY OF A MAP USED IN FLT. ASK YOURSELF HOW MANY OLD AIRFIELDS HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO INDUSTRIAL PARKS THAT ARE CLOSE TO EXISTING AIRSTRIPS, OR WHEN SHOULD AN OLD AIRSTRIP NOT BE MARKED VISUALLY AS BEING ABANDONED EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARS TO BE A RWY FROM THE AIR?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.