Narrative:

At approximately XB00 am to XB20 am local time on nov/sat/93, an small aircraft flew several mi in WX that was less than VFR minimums for uncontrolled airspace. The small aircraft entered the pattern at mop airport and landed about halfway down runway 27. Runway 27 was closed at the time. There is no excuse for this occurrence and, as PIC (and the only occupant) of the airplane, I am fully responsible. The basic reason for the problems is simple. I did not attempt to get a full briefing on WX conditions, nor did I check the current NOTAMS. I was late getting up, but before leaving my home, I listened to the flint ATIS and also called the recorded FSS WX for pontiac before rushing off to the airport. I did not check NOTAMS (if I had checked NOTAMS or listened to WX at other reporting points, I would have discovered the closed runway information). During my drive, I somehow convinced myself that WX would be minimum VFR for uncontrolled airspace and that it would be improving. I planned to call FSS from the airport but with additional delays there, I did not make the call and took off at about XA40 am. Initially, the conditions seemed to be VFR with ceilings above 1000 ft and visibility about 3 mi. I headed northwest past chesaning airport. At that time a hazy sky with overcast limited visibility to about 2 mi. With visibility trending downward, I chose to follow highway M-57 west, pick up us-27 north and follow it to mop (I am quite familiar with this general area). As I approached the town of alma after turning north, I noticed that the ceiling had been coming down with low broken clouds at about 700 ft AGL. I changed altitude at this time to remain clear of the clouds. At this time, I considered landing at alma or returning to chesaning. I ruled alma out because I did not want to get close to several towers in the area. The WX looked about as bad to the southeast (toward chesaning). At this point, I decided to continue on to mop even though I did not have minimum VFR ceilings. Mop was the closest out and with us-27 in sight, I felt it would be the safest thing to do. As I approached mop visibility was about 2 mi but cloud cover near the airport was looking lower than ever. (I would estimate about 400 ft). I could see runway 27 and entered a low downwind leg. Focusing on getting the plane down safely, I did not announce my arrival. As I flew a close-in base leg, I noticed mounds of dirt on each side of the runway about 1500 ft down the 5000 ft length. As I turned short final, I was surprised to see that a trench had been cut completely across the runway at that point. At the same time, I saw the big 'X' indicating a closed runway. My first reaction was to 'go around' and I advanced the throttle and started a shallow climb. As I passed over the trench at about 75-100 ft AGL, I realized that a climb to pattern altitude for runway 23 (the active) would put me into the low hanging clouds. At that point, with over 2000 ft of runway ahead and no other obstructions visible, I elected to do a short field landing, which was accomplished safely on the remainder of runway 27. I believe the time was about XB20 am. Needless to say, the xc O'clock banner which was such a rush, never flew! I did fly 4 more banners in the mid- afternoon when local conditions became VFR again and late in the afternoon, I flew the small aircraft back to flushing dalton. I'm very upset with myself for ignoring readily available information that would have prevented this fiasco.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT FLEW IN LESS THAN VFR CONDITIONS AND LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: AT APPROX XB00 AM TO XB20 AM LCL TIME ON NOV/SAT/93, AN SMA FLEW SEVERAL MI IN WX THAT WAS LESS THAN VFR MINIMUMS FOR UNCTLED AIRSPACE. THE SMA ENTERED THE PATTERN AT MOP ARPT AND LANDED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN RWY 27. RWY 27 WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS OCCURRENCE AND, AS PIC (AND THE ONLY OCCUPANT) OF THE AIRPLANE, I AM FULLY RESPONSIBLE. THE BASIC REASON FOR THE PROBS IS SIMPLE. I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO GET A FULL BRIEFING ON WX CONDITIONS, NOR DID I CHK THE CURRENT NOTAMS. I WAS LATE GETTING UP, BUT BEFORE LEAVING MY HOME, I LISTENED TO THE FLINT ATIS AND ALSO CALLED THE RECORDED FSS WX FOR PONTIAC BEFORE RUSHING OFF TO THE ARPT. I DID NOT CHK NOTAMS (IF I HAD CHKED NOTAMS OR LISTENED TO WX AT OTHER RPTING POINTS, I WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE CLOSED RWY INFO). DURING MY DRIVE, I SOMEHOW CONVINCED MYSELF THAT WX WOULD BE MINIMUM VFR FOR UNCTLED AIRSPACE AND THAT IT WOULD BE IMPROVING. I PLANNED TO CALL FSS FROM THE ARPT BUT WITH ADDITIONAL DELAYS THERE, I DID NOT MAKE THE CALL AND TOOK OFF AT ABOUT XA40 AM. INITIALLY, THE CONDITIONS SEEMED TO BE VFR WITH CEILINGS ABOVE 1000 FT AND VISIBILITY ABOUT 3 MI. I HEADED NW PAST CHESANING ARPT. AT THAT TIME A HAZY SKY WITH OVCST LIMITED VISIBILITY TO ABOUT 2 MI. WITH VISIBILITY TRENDING DOWNWARD, I CHOSE TO FOLLOW HWY M-57 W, PICK UP US-27 N AND FOLLOW IT TO MOP (I AM QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THIS GENERAL AREA). AS I APCHED THE TOWN OF ALMA AFTER TURNING N, I NOTICED THAT THE CEILING HAD BEEN COMING DOWN WITH LOW BROKEN CLOUDS AT ABOUT 700 FT AGL. I CHANGED ALT AT THIS TIME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS. AT THIS TIME, I CONSIDERED LNDG AT ALMA OR RETURNING TO CHESANING. I RULED ALMA OUT BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO GET CLOSE TO SEVERAL TWRS IN THE AREA. THE WX LOOKED ABOUT AS BAD TO THE SE (TOWARD CHESANING). AT THIS POINT, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO MOP EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT HAVE MINIMUM VFR CEILINGS. MOP WAS THE CLOSEST OUT AND WITH US-27 IN SIGHT, I FELT IT WOULD BE THE SAFEST THING TO DO. AS I APCHED MOP VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 2 MI BUT CLOUD COVER NEAR THE ARPT WAS LOOKING LOWER THAN EVER. (I WOULD ESTIMATE ABOUT 400 FT). I COULD SEE RWY 27 AND ENTERED A LOW DOWNWIND LEG. FOCUSING ON GETTING THE PLANE DOWN SAFELY, I DID NOT ANNOUNCE MY ARR. AS I FLEW A CLOSE-IN BASE LEG, I NOTICED MOUNDS OF DIRT ON EACH SIDE OF THE RWY ABOUT 1500 FT DOWN THE 5000 FT LENGTH. AS I TURNED SHORT FINAL, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT A TRENCH HAD BEEN CUT COMPLETELY ACROSS THE RWY AT THAT POINT. AT THE SAME TIME, I SAW THE BIG 'X' INDICATING A CLOSED RWY. MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO 'GAR' AND I ADVANCED THE THROTTLE AND STARTED A SHALLOW CLB. AS I PASSED OVER THE TRENCH AT ABOUT 75-100 FT AGL, I REALIZED THAT A CLB TO PATTERN ALT FOR RWY 23 (THE ACTIVE) WOULD PUT ME INTO THE LOW HANGING CLOUDS. AT THAT POINT, WITH OVER 2000 FT OF RWY AHEAD AND NO OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS VISIBLE, I ELECTED TO DO A SHORT FIELD LNDG, WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED SAFELY ON THE REMAINDER OF RWY 27. I BELIEVE THE TIME WAS ABOUT XB20 AM. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE XC O'CLOCK BANNER WHICH WAS SUCH A RUSH, NEVER FLEW! I DID FLY 4 MORE BANNERS IN THE MID- AFTERNOON WHEN LCL CONDITIONS BECAME VFR AGAIN AND LATE IN THE AFTERNOON, I FLEW THE SMA BACK TO FLUSHING DALTON. I'M VERY UPSET WITH MYSELF FOR IGNORING READILY AVAILABLE INFO THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FIASCO.

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.