Narrative:

Captain and I went to aircraft at AB15 am for our preflight checks. Captain always gets WX and NOTAMS. WX outside was good VFR. At approximately AB25 am, air carrier Y departed runway 34, followed by air carrier Z at AB35 am, followed by us at AB45 am. Runway 34 was notamed closed till AC00 or AD00 am. Tower was closed till AC00 am. We found out later that 34 was closed by a fellow company pilot. Construction crews were working at end of runway 16. Those crews were working there at the time of air carrier Y's departure, but had left at the time of air carrier Z's and our departure, so no conflict arose. The construction crews had put up X's on the runway but were absent at our time of departure. Performance could have been improved if both captain and first officer would have read the NOTAMS better. Usually this is the captain's responsibility to check WX and NOTAMS while the first officer does preflight duties such as clrncs, preflight, etc. I didn't find it odd because air carrier Y and air carrier Z had left before us on runway 34, plus the construction crews were parking their vehicles at the time of our departure. It is also odd that 3 crews missed this NOTAM. Supplemental information from acn 246205: we were informed by our ground crew that the runway crew had removed the X at AB00 am. We departed AB30 am and the runway was closed till AC00 am. I generally rely on NOTAMS R4ECEIVED with the load manifest. Our company has recently changed computer system. The ground personnel have a tough time pulling up NOTAMS on the new system. This morning we received no NOTAMS. After careful scrutiny of the NOTAMS we found our mistake. The method in which the NOTAMS were written was very confusing. Since the date first shown did not coincide with the date of our departure, we did not think the runway was closed, but actually it was closed until middle of the month. So in retrospect there are many contributing factors: 1) failure of flight crew to fully understand NOTAMS. 2) runway crew removing X on runway too early, before runway was legally open. 3) possibly the 4 1/2 hour sleep had something to do with our not understanding NOTAMS. That was our 3RD night with 4 1/2 hours sleep. We were doing cdo's a very fatiguing schedule. 4) not having NOTAMS on board aircraft to inspect before taxi. 5) poorly formatted NOTAMS.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER THEY HAD PERFORMED A TKOF ON A CLOSED RWY. CITE NOTAM DEFICIENCY AS WELL AS PUB AVAILABILITY. MISREAD PUB.

Narrative: CAPT AND I WENT TO ACFT AT AB15 AM FOR OUR PREFLT CHKS. CAPT ALWAYS GETS WX AND NOTAMS. WX OUTSIDE WAS GOOD VFR. AT APPROX AB25 AM, ACR Y DEPARTED RWY 34, FOLLOWED BY ACR Z AT AB35 AM, FOLLOWED BY US AT AB45 AM. RWY 34 WAS NOTAMED CLOSED TILL AC00 OR AD00 AM. TWR WAS CLOSED TILL AC00 AM. WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT 34 WAS CLOSED BY A FELLOW COMPANY PLT. CONSTRUCTION CREWS WERE WORKING AT END OF RWY 16. THOSE CREWS WERE WORKING THERE AT THE TIME OF ACR Y'S DEP, BUT HAD LEFT AT THE TIME OF ACR Z'S AND OUR DEP, SO NO CONFLICT AROSE. THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS HAD PUT UP X'S ON THE RWY BUT WERE ABSENT AT OUR TIME OF DEP. PERFORMANCE COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED IF BOTH CAPT AND FO WOULD HAVE READ THE NOTAMS BETTER. USUALLY THIS IS THE CAPT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHK WX AND NOTAMS WHILE THE FO DOES PREFLT DUTIES SUCH AS CLRNCS, PREFLT, ETC. I DIDN'T FIND IT ODD BECAUSE ACR Y AND ACR Z HAD LEFT BEFORE US ON RWY 34, PLUS THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS WERE PARKING THEIR VEHICLES AT THE TIME OF OUR DEP. IT IS ALSO ODD THAT 3 CREWS MISSED THIS NOTAM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 246205: WE WERE INFORMED BY OUR GND CREW THAT THE RWY CREW HAD REMOVED THE X AT AB00 AM. WE DEPARTED AB30 AM AND THE RWY WAS CLOSED TILL AC00 AM. I GENERALLY RELY ON NOTAMS R4ECEIVED WITH THE LOAD MANIFEST. OUR COMPANY HAS RECENTLY CHANGED COMPUTER SYS. THE GND PERSONNEL HAVE A TOUGH TIME PULLING UP NOTAMS ON THE NEW SYS. THIS MORNING WE RECEIVED NO NOTAMS. AFTER CAREFUL SCRUTINY OF THE NOTAMS WE FOUND OUR MISTAKE. THE METHOD IN WHICH THE NOTAMS WERE WRITTEN WAS VERY CONFUSING. SINCE THE DATE FIRST SHOWN DID NOT COINCIDE WITH THE DATE OF OUR DEP, WE DID NOT THINK THE RWY WAS CLOSED, BUT ACTUALLY IT WAS CLOSED UNTIL MIDDLE OF THE MONTH. SO IN RETROSPECT THERE ARE MANY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) FAILURE OF FLC TO FULLY UNDERSTAND NOTAMS. 2) RWY CREW REMOVING X ON RWY TOO EARLY, BEFORE RWY WAS LEGALLY OPEN. 3) POSSIBLY THE 4 1/2 HR SLEEP HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR NOT UNDERSTANDING NOTAMS. THAT WAS OUR 3RD NIGHT WITH 4 1/2 HRS SLEEP. WE WERE DOING CDO'S A VERY FATIGUING SCHEDULE. 4) NOT HAVING NOTAMS ON BOARD ACFT TO INSPECT BEFORE TAXI. 5) POORLY FORMATTED NOTAMS.

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.