Narrative:

We landed on runway 11 at pwm at XX25 EST. It was not until the next day that we learned there may have been equipment on the runway. How could this happen? No one told us and we never saw it. Firstly, there was no mention of equipment on the runway in the NOTAMS section of the WX briefing message. The airport was supposed to be notamed closed for a runway check from 0001 to 0030 EST. Secondly, dispatch did not advise us of the closure (they may not have known), although we had talked to them 3 times before landing. 1, we talked to them at washington dulles operations asking that they request pwm tower to stay open for our expected late arrival. 2, dispatch called us just before takeoff at dulles to advise us, among other things, that pwm tower would not stay open for us. 3, we called dispatch en route to update the WX at pwm and alternate. There was no mention of airport closure or equipment on runway. Thirdly, ATIS made no mention of airport closure or equipment on runway. Fourthly, ZBW, who provided the latest WX observation, gave us vectors to ILS 11, and notified us of inoperative approach lighting system, but did not mention airport closure or equipment on runway. Again, they may not have known. Finally, we contacted air carrier operations at pwm approximately 10 mi out on final asking about known traffic and if the runway was clear. No traffic was reported and runways were clear. We called operations on short final several times to confirm runways clear and lights on. We received no response. During the approach we had company frequency on #1 radio (for traffic, runway and WX advisory, per air carrier NOTAM) and ZBW (128.2) on #2 radio (for closeout of flight plan once we had the runway in sight--the captain's prior experience at pwm with the tower closed revealed that neither FSS or ZBW could be reached by radio on the ground. Further, reading FSS by phone was extremely difficult. Since only a select few seemed to know the #, we did ask ZBW for the # during the approach. They didn't have the #, or didn't understand our request). I mention our radio setup since we did not have a third radio to make radio calls in the blind on CTAF. Perhaps if we had, someone (e.g., FSS) monitoring CTAF could have advised of the airport closure. We closed our flight plan with ZBW at XY24 EST. At any rate, the approach, landing and taxi-in were uneventful--at least from our point of view. In review, there was ample opportunity for us to be advised of airport closure, if the news had been received by air carrier dispatch, approach control (ZBW when pwm approach not available) and operations at pwm, and/or reported on ATIS. Therefore, the airport manager should have, as a minimum, recorded the airport closure on ATIS. He/she could have advised any or all of the above agencies (air carrier dispatch, operations, approach control, agency for NOTAMS, not to mention the contacts of other air carrier's that operate into pwm as destination or alternate). Further, we might have benefitted by broadcasting in the blind on CTAF. We might have learned of the airport closure if FSS were maintaining a listening watch, and knew of the closure. Finally, if operations at pwm were allowed to monitor CTAF and broadcast on it after tower closure, it would help crews to make all the radio calls necessary for a safe operation and expeditious close-out of flight plan (especially with low ceilings and visibility).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LANDED ON A RWY THAT HAD BEEN NOTAMED CLOSED FOR RWY CHECK.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 11 AT PWM AT XX25 EST. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY THAT WE LEARNED THERE MAY HAVE BEEN EQUIP ON THE RWY. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? NO ONE TOLD US AND WE NEVER SAW IT. FIRSTLY, THERE WAS NO MENTION OF EQUIP ON THE RWY IN THE NOTAMS SECTION OF THE WX BRIEFING MESSAGE. THE ARPT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE NOTAMED CLOSED FOR A RWY CHK FROM 0001 TO 0030 EST. SECONDLY, DISPATCH DID NOT ADVISE US OF THE CLOSURE (THEY MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN), ALTHOUGH WE HAD TALKED TO THEM 3 TIMES BEFORE LNDG. 1, WE TALKED TO THEM AT WASHINGTON DULLES OPS ASKING THAT THEY REQUEST PWM TWR TO STAY OPEN FOR OUR EXPECTED LATE ARR. 2, DISPATCH CALLED US JUST BEFORE TKOF AT DULLES TO ADVISE US, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT PWM TWR WOULD NOT STAY OPEN FOR US. 3, WE CALLED DISPATCH ENRTE TO UPDATE THE WX AT PWM AND ALTERNATE. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ARPT CLOSURE OR EQUIP ON RWY. THIRDLY, ATIS MADE NO MENTION OF ARPT CLOSURE OR EQUIP ON RWY. FOURTHLY, ZBW, WHO PROVIDED THE LATEST WX OBSERVATION, GAVE US VECTORS TO ILS 11, AND NOTIFIED US OF INOP APCH LIGHTING SYS, BUT DID NOT MENTION ARPT CLOSURE OR EQUIP ON RWY. AGAIN, THEY MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN. FINALLY, WE CONTACTED ACR OPS AT PWM APPROX 10 MI OUT ON FINAL ASKING ABOUT KNOWN TFC AND IF THE RWY WAS CLR. NO TFC WAS RPTED AND RWYS WERE CLR. WE CALLED OPS ON SHORT FINAL SEVERAL TIMES TO CONFIRM RWYS CLR AND LIGHTS ON. WE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. DURING THE APCH WE HAD COMPANY FREQ ON #1 RADIO (FOR TFC, RWY AND WX ADVISORY, PER ACR NOTAM) AND ZBW (128.2) ON #2 RADIO (FOR CLOSEOUT OF FLT PLAN ONCE WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT--THE CAPT'S PRIOR EXPERIENCE AT PWM WITH THE TWR CLOSED REVEALED THAT NEITHER FSS OR ZBW COULD BE REACHED BY RADIO ON THE GND. FURTHER, READING FSS BY PHONE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. SINCE ONLY A SELECT FEW SEEMED TO KNOW THE #, WE DID ASK ZBW FOR THE # DURING THE APCH. THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE #, OR DIDN'T UNDERSTAND OUR REQUEST). I MENTION OUR RADIO SETUP SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE A THIRD RADIO TO MAKE RADIO CALLS IN THE BLIND ON CTAF. PERHAPS IF WE HAD, SOMEONE (E.G., FSS) MONITORING CTAF COULD HAVE ADVISED OF THE ARPT CLOSURE. WE CLOSED OUR FLT PLAN WITH ZBW AT XY24 EST. AT ANY RATE, THE APCH, LNDG AND TAXI-IN WERE UNEVENTFUL--AT LEAST FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW. IN REVIEW, THERE WAS AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ADVISED OF ARPT CLOSURE, IF THE NEWS HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY ACR DISPATCH, APCH CTL (ZBW WHEN PWM APCH NOT AVAILABLE) AND OPS AT PWM, AND/OR RPTED ON ATIS. THEREFORE, THE ARPT MGR SHOULD HAVE, AS A MINIMUM, RECORDED THE ARPT CLOSURE ON ATIS. HE/SHE COULD HAVE ADVISED ANY OR ALL OF THE ABOVE AGENCIES (ACR DISPATCH, OPS, APCH CTL, AGENCY FOR NOTAMS, NOT TO MENTION THE CONTACTS OF OTHER ACR'S THAT OPERATE INTO PWM AS DEST OR ALTERNATE). FURTHER, WE MIGHT HAVE BENEFITTED BY BROADCASTING IN THE BLIND ON CTAF. WE MIGHT HAVE LEARNED OF THE ARPT CLOSURE IF FSS WERE MAINTAINING A LISTENING WATCH, AND KNEW OF THE CLOSURE. FINALLY, IF OPS AT PWM WERE ALLOWED TO MONITOR CTAF AND BROADCAST ON IT AFTER TWR CLOSURE, IT WOULD HELP CREWS TO MAKE ALL THE RADIO CALLS NECESSARY FOR A SAFE OPERATION AND EXPEDITIOUS CLOSE-OUT OF FLT PLAN (ESPECIALLY WITH LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY).

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.