Narrative:

I departed sjc for san martin at 00 am to practice short field takeoff and lndgs. After landing at Q99, I decided to go to frazier lake, where I received my initial soft field landing instruction, to do a practice landing. I over flew the airport to check the windsock, then entered a right downwind for landing runway 23. After landing, I noticed several of the taxiways were coned-off. This was when I realized that the airport may be closed for maintenance. I did a back taxi and departed direct sjc. In my opinion, it was the fact that I was devoting too much of my attention to concentrating on soft field technique and that fact that there was no men equipment or other aircraft on or near the airport area that contributed to my not noticing the closure markings. In my opinion, if the closure markings had been on the field itself, they would have been more noticeable. I discussed the incident with my instructor and in the process obtained a phone number for the field of which I tried to call several times to no avail to see if I had created any problems. I have since reviewed FAA circulars regarding flight into uncontrolled airports and am scheduling a self-imposed flight review with my flight instructor. I do not believe there was any problem created by this incident as the field appeared to be in excellent condition, but it has made a everlasting impression on me in regards to flying into uncontrolled of which I am not accustomed to. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he heard through the grapevine that members have put the cones out to discourage non members from landing. Reporter had checked NOTAMS after incident and found nothing so kept asking around. He had landed there once before with his instrument and was thoroughly chewed out for landing on wet grass. Tight little group of members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ATTEMPTING TO PRACTICE FIELD TECHNIQUE LANDS AND NOTICES CONES ON TAXIWAYS. THOUGHT ARPT CLOSED FOR MAINT, DEPARTED.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SJC FOR SAN MARTIN AT 00 AM TO PRACTICE SHORT FIELD TKOF AND LNDGS. AFTER LNDG AT Q99, I DECIDED TO GO TO FRAZIER LAKE, WHERE I RECEIVED MY INITIAL SOFT FIELD LNDG INSTRUCTION, TO DO A PRACTICE LNDG. I OVER FLEW THE ARPT TO CHK THE WINDSOCK, THEN ENTERED A R DOWNWIND FOR LNDG RWY 23. AFTER LNDG, I NOTICED SEVERAL OF THE TAXIWAYS WERE CONED-OFF. THIS WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE ARPT MAY BE CLOSED FOR MAINT. I DID A BACK TAXI AND DEPARTED DIRECT SJC. IN MY OPINION, IT WAS THE FACT THAT I WAS DEVOTING TOO MUCH OF MY ATTN TO CONCENTRATING ON SOFT FIELD TECHNIQUE AND THAT FACT THAT THERE WAS NO MEN EQUIP OR OTHER ACFT ON OR NEAR THE ARPT AREA THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY NOT NOTICING THE CLOSURE MARKINGS. IN MY OPINION, IF THE CLOSURE MARKINGS HAD BEEN ON THE FIELD ITSELF, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE NOTICEABLE. I DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND IN THE PROCESS OBTAINED A PHONE NUMBER FOR THE FIELD OF WHICH I TRIED TO CALL SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL TO SEE IF I HAD CREATED ANY PROBLEMS. I HAVE SINCE REVIEWED FAA CIRCULARS REGARDING FLT INTO UNCTLED ARPTS AND AM SCHEDULING A SELF-IMPOSED FLT REVIEW WITH MY FLT INSTRUCTOR. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM CREATED BY THIS INCIDENT AS THE FIELD APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, BUT IT HAS MADE A EVERLASTING IMPRESSION ON ME IN REGARDS TO FLYING INTO UNCTLED OF WHICH I AM NOT ACCUSTOMED TO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE THAT MEMBERS HAVE PUT THE CONES OUT TO DISCOURAGE NON MEMBERS FROM LNDG. RPTR HAD CHKED NOTAMS AFTER INCIDENT AND FOUND NOTHING SO KEPT ASKING AROUND. HE HAD LANDED THERE ONCE BEFORE WITH HIS INSTR AND WAS THOROUGHLY CHEWED OUT FOR LNDG ON WET GRASS. TIGHT LITTLE GROUP OF MEMBERS.

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.