Narrative:

We flew toward montrose from the northeast, we called unicom. She reported no traffic. We stated we were turning downwind for runway 12. After paralleling this runway, we turned base leg and short final, as this is a long runway, and noticed no markings on the black top. Thinking they had just placed a seal coat and since I saw no X on the runway, we landed. An FBO representative said this was a 5000 ft test strip. All machinery was 100 ft off the sides and no men were any closer than this. Machinery was at least 5000 ft further down from the end of the strip. This occurred because I thought this was runway 12 and mostly because no X was placed on the runway. An FBO person said he had been on a flight the night before and he stated it sure looked like a runway. When I received my flight briefing before the flight, the construction was not listed in the NOTAMS. An X was placed on the runway after I landed and complained that there was no X to mark it as a non-usable runway. When I called for a briefing upon departing montrose the following day, the briefer said he had given me all the NOTAMS and the construction was not included. My suggestion is that whenever a runway is under construction and has been blacktopped, an X should be placed on it. Also, that a NOTAM be made to the effect that there is construction on a new runway adjacent to or near the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT LANDED ON A CLOSED TEST RWY. THERE WAS NO 'X' MARKING THE RWY OR NO NOTAM LISTING THE RWY CLOSED.

Narrative: WE FLEW TOWARD MONTROSE FROM THE NE, WE CALLED UNICOM. SHE RPTED NO TFC. WE STATED WE WERE TURNING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12. AFTER PARALLELING THIS RWY, WE TURNED BASE LEG AND SHORT FINAL, AS THIS IS A LONG RWY, AND NOTICED NO MARKINGS ON THE BLACK TOP. THINKING THEY HAD JUST PLACED A SEAL COAT AND SINCE I SAW NO X ON THE RWY, WE LANDED. AN FBO REPRESENTATIVE SAID THIS WAS A 5000 FT TEST STRIP. ALL MACHINERY WAS 100 FT OFF THE SIDES AND NO MEN WERE ANY CLOSER THAN THIS. MACHINERY WAS AT LEAST 5000 FT FURTHER DOWN FROM THE END OF THE STRIP. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS WAS RWY 12 AND MOSTLY BECAUSE NO X WAS PLACED ON THE RWY. AN FBO PERSON SAID HE HAD BEEN ON A FLT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HE STATED IT SURE LOOKED LIKE A RWY. WHEN I RECEIVED MY FLT BRIEFING BEFORE THE FLT, THE CONSTRUCTION WAS NOT LISTED IN THE NOTAMS. AN X WAS PLACED ON THE RWY AFTER I LANDED AND COMPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO X TO MARK IT AS A NON-USABLE RWY. WHEN I CALLED FOR A BRIEFING UPON DEPARTING MONTROSE THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE BRIEFER SAID HE HAD GIVEN ME ALL THE NOTAMS AND THE CONSTRUCTION WAS NOT INCLUDED. MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WHENEVER A RWY IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND HAS BEEN BLACKTOPPED, AN X SHOULD BE PLACED ON IT. ALSO, THAT A NOTAM BE MADE TO THE EFFECT THAT THERE IS CONSTRUCTION ON A NEW RWY ADJACENT TO OR NEAR THE ARPT.

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.