Small aircraft arrives at 31J after tower was supposed to close and found tower still operating.

Attributes
ACN	194890
Time
Date	199111
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 31j
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : 31j tower : lga
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 930 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	194890
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

En route to lake city on a VFR instructional cross country. According to the airport facilities directory, lake city tower (NFCT) closes during the week at XA00 local. Upon reaching the airport and observing no traffic in the pattern we positioned our aircraft for a downwind for runway 10. My student made a radio call for downwind on the listed unicom frequency of 122.7 local time was XB00. A voice was heard to use the CTAF of 119.2 an error I had not caught earlier. After changing the frequency and making another downwind call. However this time we received a clearance to land from the local controller of the still operational tower. 1 hour after the listed closing time of XA00 local time. No NOTAMS were issued for this change in operational hours. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: spoke to FSS at gnv. He said that the hours published in the airport facility directory are correct. He said that, at times, the tower will remain open for a short time past those hours to accommodate a military aircraft arriving at the civilian contractor facility. In those cases, the procedure is exactly as happened to the reporter, the FBO monitors unicom and tells any traffic to make a call on CTAF frequency, the same as the tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ARRIVES AT 31J AFTER TWR WAS SUPPOSED TO CLOSE AND FOUND TWR STILL OPERATING.

Narrative: ENRTE TO LAKE CITY ON A VFR INSTRUCTIONAL XCOUNTRY. ACCORDING TO THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY, LAKE CITY TWR (NFCT) CLOSES DURING THE WK AT XA00 LCL. UPON REACHING THE ARPT AND OBSERVING NO TFC IN THE PATTERN WE POSITIONED OUR ACFT FOR A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10. MY STUDENT MADE A RADIO CALL FOR DOWNWIND ON THE LISTED UNICOM FREQ OF 122.7 LCL TIME WAS XB00. A VOICE WAS HEARD TO USE THE CTAF OF 119.2 AN ERROR I HAD NOT CAUGHT EARLIER. AFTER CHANGING THE FREQ AND MAKING ANOTHER DOWNWIND CALL. HOWEVER THIS TIME WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND FROM THE LCL CTLR OF THE STILL OPERATIONAL TWR. 1 HR AFTER THE LISTED CLOSING TIME OF XA00 LCL TIME. NO NOTAMS WERE ISSUED FOR THIS CHANGE IN OPERATIONAL HRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SPOKE TO FSS AT GNV. HE SAID THAT THE HRS PUBLISHED IN THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY ARE CORRECT. HE SAID THAT, AT TIMES, THE TWR WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR A SHORT TIME PAST THOSE HRS TO ACCOMMODATE A MIL ACFT ARRIVING AT THE CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR FACILITY. IN THOSE CASES, THE PROC IS EXACTLY AS HAPPENED TO THE RPTR, THE FBO MONITORS UNICOM AND TELLS ANY TFC TO MAKE A CALL ON CTAF FREQ, THE SAME AS THE TWR.

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.