Narrative:

I attempted sleep during short layover in stuffy hotel room with noisy air conditioner. Alarm woke me early am (even earlier by my biological clock). First flight of day was to be korf-kpit. Airborne, I contacted pit approach control, notified controller I had ATIS information, which called for ILS approach to runway 28L, last 2850 ft closed. Controller notified me that 'information now current, visual approachs to runway 0R in progress' (same runway, different direction). The first officer made a good, normal approach to the runway with the GS OTS; the tower cleared us to land, runway 10R. During final approach, a low sun reflected off what appeared to be the runway touchdown zone markings in same manner as the full length runway markings (paint). Men and equipment were observed by me to be working alongside the runway touchdown zone and the touchdown itself was clear of men and equipment. One second before touchdown, we both saw that the sun was reflecting off gray sheets placed over the runway touchdown markings, the only visual indication that the first 2850 ft of runway was closed. I elected to not interfere with the landing in progress because I had already visually cleared the runway, it was obvious that there was nothing obstructing the landing, and that to interfere at this point would probably result in an uncoordinated, unsafe bounced touchdown, far more hazardous than a normal touchdown on what was obviously a clear runway, with men working beyond the runway perimeter. Touchdown and rollout were uneventful. Before leaving the tower frequency, pit tower cleared an aircraft behind us to land, adding that the first 2800 ft of runway was closed, something the tower operator had not mentioned to this flight crew. Immediately upon arrival at gate, arrival ATIS information was being broadcast, mentioning that the first 2800 ft runway 10R was closed. Contributing factors include inadequate sleep, early waking, not listening to new ATIS information after informed of change by approach control, and no touchdown markings out of ordinary such as a big X on closed portion of runway, which, even if reflecting the morning sun, would still be sufficiently out of the ordinary to alert pilots. Sun reflecting off white paint and gray cloth made full length of runway look the same. If the approach controller and tower operator would remind the flight crew of each aircraft they clear for approach or landing on a partially closed runway, of that partial closure, it would help immensely. Supplemental information from acn 218235. Upon shutting down and deplaning our passengers I did a thorough walk-around and found no dents, dings, or damage (or FOD).

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG FLC LANDS ON A CLOSED SECTION OF RWY 10R AT PIT.

Narrative: I ATTEMPTED SLEEP DURING SHORT LAYOVER IN STUFFY HOTEL ROOM WITH NOISY AIR CONDITIONER. ALARM WOKE ME EARLY AM (EVEN EARLIER BY MY BIOLOGICAL CLOCK). FIRST FLT OF DAY WAS TO BE KORF-KPIT. AIRBORNE, I CONTACTED PIT APCH CTL, NOTIFIED CTLR I HAD ATIS INFO, WHICH CALLED FOR ILS APCH TO RWY 28L, LAST 2850 FT CLOSED. CTLR NOTIFIED ME THAT 'INFO NOW CURRENT, VISUAL APCHS TO RWY 0R IN PROGRESS' (SAME RWY, DIFFERENT DIRECTION). THE FO MADE A GOOD, NORMAL APCH TO THE RWY WITH THE GS OTS; THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND, RWY 10R. DURING FINAL APCH, A LOW SUN REFLECTED OFF WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE RWY TOUCHDOWN ZONE MARKINGS IN SAME MANNER AS THE FULL LENGTH RWY MARKINGS (PAINT). MEN AND EQUIP WERE OBSERVED BY ME TO BE WORKING ALONGSIDE THE RWY TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND THE TOUCHDOWN ITSELF WAS CLR OF MEN AND EQUIP. ONE SECOND BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, WE BOTH SAW THAT THE SUN WAS REFLECTING OFF GRAY SHEETS PLACED OVER THE RWY TOUCHDOWN MARKINGS, THE ONLY VISUAL INDICATION THAT THE FIRST 2850 FT OF RWY WAS CLOSED. I ELECTED TO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE LNDG IN PROGRESS BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY VISUALLY CLRED THE RWY, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS NOTHING OBSTRUCTING THE LNDG, AND THAT TO INTERFERE AT THIS POINT WOULD PROBABLY RESULT IN AN UNCOORDINATED, UNSAFE BOUNCED TOUCHDOWN, FAR MORE HAZARDOUS THAN A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN ON WHAT WAS OBVIOUSLY A CLR RWY, WITH MEN WORKING BEYOND THE RWY PERIMETER. TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT WERE UNEVENTFUL. BEFORE LEAVING THE TWR FREQ, PIT TWR CLRED AN ACFT BEHIND US TO LAND, ADDING THAT THE FIRST 2800 FT OF RWY WAS CLOSED, SOMETHING THE TWR OPERATOR HAD NOT MENTIONED TO THIS FLC. IMMEDIATELY UPON ARR AT GATE, ARR ATIS INFO WAS BEING BROADCAST, MENTIONING THAT THE FIRST 2800 FT RWY 10R WAS CLOSED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE INADEQUATE SLEEP, EARLY WAKING, NOT LISTENING TO NEW ATIS INFO AFTER INFORMED OF CHANGE BY APCH CTL, AND NO TOUCHDOWN MARKINGS OUT OF ORDINARY SUCH AS A BIG X ON CLOSED PORTION OF RWY, WHICH, EVEN IF REFLECTING THE MORNING SUN, WOULD STILL BE SUFFICIENTLY OUT OF THE ORDINARY TO ALERT PLTS. SUN REFLECTING OFF WHITE PAINT AND GRAY CLOTH MADE FULL LENGTH OF RWY LOOK THE SAME. IF THE APCH CTLR AND TWR OPERATOR WOULD REMIND THE FLC OF EACH ACFT THEY CLR FOR APCH OR LNDG ON A PARTIALLY CLOSED RWY, OF THAT PARTIAL CLOSURE, IT WOULD HELP IMMENSELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 218235. UPON SHUTTING DOWN AND DEPLANING OUR PAXS I DID A THOROUGH WALK-AROUND AND FOUND NO DENTS, DINGS, OR DAMAGE (OR FOD).

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.