Pilot of small aircraft private aircraft inadvertently landed at a closed military airport.

Attributes
ACN	219774
Time
Date	199208
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 73is
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 415
ASRS Report	219774
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	oversight : airport manager
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

My first flight in ferrying an open cockpit biplane from rockford, il, to greenville, sc. Needed to land due to cold, fatigue, and change batteries on handheld GPS. Unfamiliar with plane. I chose the first suitable airport with north/south runway due to southerly winds of 15 KTS, landed on runway 18 chanute AFB. Realized once on ground that the airport was closed, even though runways not X'ed out. Base police and commander arrived, very cordial, and allowed me to continue on my way. Many factors contributed to poor decision to land (cold, unfamiliar with plane, etc) but I would not have landed on an X'ed out runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA PVT ACFT INADVERTENTLY LANDED AT A CLOSED MIL ARPT.

Narrative: MY FIRST FLT IN FERRYING AN OPEN COCKPIT BIPLANE FROM ROCKFORD, IL, TO GREENVILLE, SC. NEEDED TO LAND DUE TO COLD, FATIGUE, AND CHANGE BATTERIES ON HANDHELD GPS. UNFAMILIAR WITH PLANE. I CHOSE THE FIRST SUITABLE ARPT WITH N/S RWY DUE TO SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 KTS, LANDED ON RWY 18 CHANUTE AFB. REALIZED ONCE ON GND THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED, EVEN THOUGH RWYS NOT X'ED OUT. BASE POLICE AND COMMANDER ARRIVED, VERY CORDIAL, AND ALLOWED ME TO CONTINUE ON MY WAY. MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO POOR DECISION TO LAND (COLD, UNFAMILIAR WITH PLANE, ETC) BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED ON AN X'ED OUT RWY.

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.