Narrative:

While en route from trinidad, co, via calhan, co, to lajunta, co. I inadvertently landed on a closed runway at meadow lake airport. There was no damage to the aircraft or property and there were no injuries. When approaching meadow lake airport I noticed that the fuel gauges which had been indicating normally were now indicating very low. I would have suspected the gauges were in error except for the fact that fuel had been draining from the fuel vent prior to departure but had stopped before takeoff. This was compounded by the radio, which had been working normally, failing. I made a low pass over the runway and saw that there was construction on the far end but there was several thousand ft of usable runway. During the low pass I was distracted by the presence of 2 other aircraft in the pattern and therefore did not see the yellow X's at the approach end of the runway. After landing and shutting down and then restarting, the fuel returned to normal indication so I departed on the open crosswind runway. From landing to takeoff was about 15 mins. Believing I had a low fuel emergency and having all that open runway in front of me I landed not knowing that the runway was closed. Although I was distraction by other aircraft I don't believe there was enough contrast between the yellow X's and the backgnd they were on. I didn't check meadow lake NOTAMS because that was not my destination. The radio failure compounded the whole thing. I was a navy pilot for 12 yrs, an airline pilot for 25 yrs, and I have been flying for 38 yrs. I have many thousands of hours of flight time. Besides this airplane I have owned an small aircraft a and an small transport. I feel badly that I landed on a closed runway but if I had had the fuel emergency that I thought I had I could have felt better about it. It was determined that the master switch was intermittent and that the radio had a loose ground. The airplane which I recently purchased was an small aircraft B, and had been annualed about 2 weeks prior.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS ON CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM TRINIDAD, CO, VIA CALHAN, CO, TO LAJUNTA, CO. I INADVERTENTLY LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY AT MEADOW LAKE ARPT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PROPERTY AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. WHEN APCHING MEADOW LAKE ARPT I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WHICH HAD BEEN INDICATING NORMALLY WERE NOW INDICATING VERY LOW. I WOULD HAVE SUSPECTED THE GAUGES WERE IN ERROR EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT FUEL HAD BEEN DRAINING FROM THE FUEL VENT PRIOR TO DEP BUT HAD STOPPED BEFORE TKOF. THIS WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE RADIO, WHICH HAD BEEN WORKING NORMALLY, FAILING. I MADE A LOW PASS OVER THE RWY AND SAW THAT THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION ON THE FAR END BUT THERE WAS SEVERAL THOUSAND FT OF USABLE RWY. DURING THE LOW PASS I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE PRESENCE OF 2 OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND THEREFORE DID NOT SEE THE YELLOW X'S AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY. AFTER LNDG AND SHUTTING DOWN AND THEN RESTARTING, THE FUEL RETURNED TO NORMAL INDICATION SO I DEPARTED ON THE OPEN XWIND RWY. FROM LNDG TO TKOF WAS ABOUT 15 MINS. BELIEVING I HAD A LOW FUEL EMER AND HAVING ALL THAT OPEN RWY IN FRONT OF ME I LANDED NOT KNOWING THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. ALTHOUGH I WAS DISTR BY OTHER ACFT I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ENOUGH CONTRAST BTWN THE YELLOW X'S AND THE BACKGND THEY WERE ON. I DIDN'T CHK MEADOW LAKE NOTAMS BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT MY DEST. THE RADIO FAILURE COMPOUNDED THE WHOLE THING. I WAS A NAVY PLT FOR 12 YRS, AN AIRLINE PLT FOR 25 YRS, AND I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 38 YRS. I HAVE MANY THOUSANDS OF HRS OF FLT TIME. BESIDES THIS AIRPLANE I HAVE OWNED AN SMA A AND AN SMT. I FEEL BADLY THAT I LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY BUT IF I HAD HAD THE FUEL EMER THAT I THOUGHT I HAD I COULD HAVE FELT BETTER ABOUT IT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MASTER SWITCH WAS INTERMITTENT AND THAT THE RADIO HAD A LOOSE GND. THE AIRPLANE WHICH I RECENTLY PURCHASED WAS AN SMA B, AND HAD BEEN ANNUALED ABOUT 2 WKS PRIOR.

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.