Small aircraft lands on closed runway.

Attributes
ACN	265642
Time
Date	199403
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3w3
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 410 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	265642
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : airport manager
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far 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	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Inadvertent landing on closed turf runway. Purpose of trip was for lunch at kentmorr restaurant. Flew full pattern at 1010 ft MSL, and did not notice orange 'X' in runway. 'X' was made with orange mesh material and blended with dark and light areas in field. Spoke with airport manager and was granted permission to takeoff. No damage to aircraft, field or persons. After departure, I flew over airport and still had a difficult time identing the 'X' on the runway. I believe that the use of a solid white or other solid color would have made the 'X' more visible and I would certainly not have landed. Runway was closed because of soft field conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS ON CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: INADVERTENT LNDG ON CLOSED TURF RWY. PURPOSE OF TRIP WAS FOR LUNCH AT KENTMORR RESTAURANT. FLEW FULL PATTERN AT 1010 FT MSL, AND DID NOT NOTICE ORANGE 'X' IN RWY. 'X' WAS MADE WITH ORANGE MESH MATERIAL AND BLENDED WITH DARK AND LIGHT AREAS IN FIELD. SPOKE WITH ARPT MGR AND WAS GRANTED PERMISSION TO TKOF. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT, FIELD OR PERSONS. AFTER DEP, I FLEW OVER ARPT AND STILL HAD A DIFFICULT TIME IDENTING THE 'X' ON THE RWY. I BELIEVE THAT THE USE OF A SOLID WHITE OR OTHER SOLID COLOR WOULD HAVE MADE THE 'X' MORE VISIBLE AND I WOULD CERTAINLY NOT HAVE LANDED. RWY WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF SOFT FIELD CONDITIONS.

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.