Narrative:

I was a passenger in my small transport, which is a club operated plane from sjc. The pilot had gotten a WX briefing from oak FSS by phone around midnight local for a flight from sjc to cameron park to twf. I did not hear that briefing but he said there were no NOTAMS about the airport being closed. We arrived at cameron park around AM45 local and made a VFR approach to runway 31. There were no X's or any other markings to indicate that the airport was closed. In fact, en route to cameron park, the pilot contacted sacramento radio and received an updated WX briefing for the flight from cameron park to twf. I did hear that briefing and again no mention of NOTAMS indicating the field was closed. After finding out about the closure the PIC decided to wait to talk to the airport manager to get permission to takeoff. The PIC refigured takeoff data (paint crew was on the departure end of runway 13). When the airport manager arrived, I spoke with him and explained the situation. He noted that 'someone' must have removed the closed markings and then authorized us to 'go ahead and go.' when I got home I investigated to find out why we were not informed by the FSS briefer about the airport NOTAM. The specialist at rancho murieta FSS explained that they have a new computer system. Under the old program, NOTAMS automatically came up when the airport was entered for departure or arrival. Under the new system, the briefer must make a separate entry to bring up any NOTAMS for the airport (such as runway closures, etc). The program in the new system should be changed to bring up NOTAMS to prevent aircraft from continuing to an airport that could have been closed while they were en route!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT LANDS AT CLOSED ARPT. NO MARKINGS, NO NOTAM GIVEN.

Narrative: I WAS A PAX IN MY SMT, WHICH IS A CLUB OPERATED PLANE FROM SJC. THE PLT HAD GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING FROM OAK FSS BY PHONE AROUND MIDNIGHT LCL FOR A FLT FROM SJC TO CAMERON PARK TO TWF. I DID NOT HEAR THAT BRIEFING BUT HE SAID THERE WERE NO NOTAMS ABOUT THE ARPT BEING CLOSED. WE ARRIVED AT CAMERON PARK AROUND AM45 LCL AND MADE A VFR APCH TO RWY 31. THERE WERE NO X'S OR ANY OTHER MARKINGS TO INDICATE THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. IN FACT, ENRTE TO CAMERON PARK, THE PLT CONTACTED SACRAMENTO RADIO AND RECEIVED AN UPDATED WX BRIEFING FOR THE FLT FROM CAMERON PARK TO TWF. I DID HEAR THAT BRIEFING AND AGAIN NO MENTION OF NOTAMS INDICATING THE FIELD WAS CLOSED. AFTER FINDING OUT ABOUT THE CLOSURE THE PIC DECIDED TO WAIT TO TALK TO THE ARPT MGR TO GET PERMISSION TO TKOF. THE PIC REFIGURED TKOF DATA (PAINT CREW WAS ON THE DEP END OF RWY 13). WHEN THE ARPT MGR ARRIVED, I SPOKE WITH HIM AND EXPLAINED THE SIT. HE NOTED THAT 'SOMEONE' MUST HAVE REMOVED THE CLOSED MARKINGS AND THEN AUTHORIZED US TO 'GO AHEAD AND GO.' WHEN I GOT HOME I INVESTIGATED TO FIND OUT WHY WE WERE NOT INFORMED BY THE FSS BRIEFER ABOUT THE ARPT NOTAM. THE SPECIALIST AT RANCHO MURIETA FSS EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAVE A NEW COMPUTER SYS. UNDER THE OLD PROGRAM, NOTAMS AUTOMATICALLY CAME UP WHEN THE ARPT WAS ENTERED FOR DEP OR ARR. UNDER THE NEW SYS, THE BRIEFER MUST MAKE A SEPARATE ENTRY TO BRING UP ANY NOTAMS FOR THE ARPT (SUCH AS RWY CLOSURES, ETC). THE PROGRAM IN THE NEW SYS SHOULD BE CHANGED TO BRING UP NOTAMS TO PREVENT ACFT FROM CONTINUING TO AN ARPT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED WHILE THEY WERE ENRTE!

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.