Narrative:

The captain was flying and I was working the radios. The WX was excellent VFR and we received the WX for uin (quincy, an uncontrolled field in il) via ZKC about 20 mi out. The wind was 310 degrees at 19 KTS gusting to 25 KTS, so the most favorable runway would be runway 31. Now 15 mi out we were cleared for the visual approach to the uin airport. The captain and I agreed to use runway 31. He asked me to check the performance book to see if we could land on runway 31 with our current landing weight, we could. The captain later told me he had checked the dispatch release before we departed and while on final thought back and did not remember having read of anything being closed at uin. I reported 15 mi out for runway 31 then 5 mi out then 2 mi final. At this point I noticed that there were 2 trucks just to the left side of runway 31 about 200 ft down. I thought to myself 'is this runway closed?' but saw that there were no X's on the runway, so it must be open. It's not uncommon to see mowers on either side of a runway. So I just assumed these trucks were cutting grass or fixing lights, being that there was no X on the runway. Just to note runway 4/22 was also closed and there were X's on runway 4/22. We were now on a 1/4 mi final and I thought about saying something to the captain, but saw no X on any other obstructions on the runway and I knew this would be a safe landing. The captain later told me he thought the same from the 2 mi final point. We landed safely and taxied in and unloaded our passenger. The captain stayed in the airplane and I went inside to get a drink of water on our 15 min turn. That's when the station manager informed me we landed on runway 31, a closed runway, but that it just now opened up. Nothing else was said by anyone at uin. We found out later that runway 13/31 and runway 4/22 have been opened and closed a few times a day for the past 2 weeks. There were a few others from our airline as well as a c- 172 just behind us who also landed on runway 31 when it was closed. We then looked at the dispatch release and saw that runway 13/31 was indeed closed. This should not have happened. The captain looked at the dispatch release and did not remember about the closed runways. I looked at the release also but checked the minimum fuel, valid time, WX, if we had an alternate, but I did not even look at the bottom part of the release where the NOTAMS and winds aloft are. Some of these releases we get are very lengthy and usually only a min for the first officer to review it before we go. Since then I have taken the extra mins to look the release over very carefully no matter how long it takes. This was the second leg on the second day of a 3 day trip. Later we both admitted to being very tired as we had flown 7 hours and 29 mins the day before with only a 10 hour rest period at a hotel and neither of us had a good sleep. I feel if we were better rested the captain might have remembered the closed runway and I might have taken the extra min to read the full release. Also, ZKC did not mention anything about any NOTAMS, they usually do. We have to call in range (about 10 mins out) with our fuel load and ETA. At uncontrolled fields they should remind us of any runway closures or any other NOTAM for that airport. We also fly into brl and they always remind us of any NOTAMS. I'm not saying they should do our job but it's nice for everyone to look out for everyone else. Why weren't there any X's on runway 13/31? Runway 4/22 had X's on them. I feel this incident was mostly the fault of the crew, but I recommend a few changes: 1) that crews should get a full 8 hours of sleep a night -- eliminate this 8 hour reduced rest overnight and all other overnights under 11- 12 hours long. 2) the first officer is very busy boarding the passenger, looking up V speeds and weights, so we should have a few extra mins to look over the release very carefully by eliminating all turns under 30 mins. 3) have the station personnel at uncontrolled fields tell us or remind us of any NOTAMS. 4) make sure maintenance crews put X's on closed runways when they are closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT LANDS ON CLOSED RWY. NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. THE WX WAS EXCELLENT VFR AND WE RECEIVED THE WX FOR UIN (QUINCY, AN UNCTLED FIELD IN IL) VIA ZKC ABOUT 20 MI OUT. THE WIND WAS 310 DEGS AT 19 KTS GUSTING TO 25 KTS, SO THE MOST FAVORABLE RWY WOULD BE RWY 31. NOW 15 MI OUT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO THE UIN ARPT. THE CAPT AND I AGREED TO USE RWY 31. HE ASKED ME TO CHK THE PERFORMANCE BOOK TO SEE IF WE COULD LAND ON RWY 31 WITH OUR CURRENT LNDG WT, WE COULD. THE CAPT LATER TOLD ME HE HAD CHKED THE DISPATCH RELEASE BEFORE WE DEPARTED AND WHILE ON FINAL THOUGHT BACK AND DID NOT REMEMBER HAVING READ OF ANYTHING BEING CLOSED AT UIN. I RPTED 15 MI OUT FOR RWY 31 THEN 5 MI OUT THEN 2 MI FINAL. AT THIS POINT I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE 2 TRUCKS JUST TO THE L SIDE OF RWY 31 ABOUT 200 FT DOWN. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF 'IS THIS RWY CLOSED?' BUT SAW THAT THERE WERE NO X'S ON THE RWY, SO IT MUST BE OPEN. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE MOWERS ON EITHER SIDE OF A RWY. SO I JUST ASSUMED THESE TRUCKS WERE CUTTING GRASS OR FIXING LIGHTS, BEING THAT THERE WAS NO X ON THE RWY. JUST TO NOTE RWY 4/22 WAS ALSO CLOSED AND THERE WERE X'S ON RWY 4/22. WE WERE NOW ON A 1/4 MI FINAL AND I THOUGHT ABOUT SAYING SOMETHING TO THE CAPT, BUT SAW NO X ON ANY OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE RWY AND I KNEW THIS WOULD BE A SAFE LNDG. THE CAPT LATER TOLD ME HE THOUGHT THE SAME FROM THE 2 MI FINAL POINT. WE LANDED SAFELY AND TAXIED IN AND UNLOADED OUR PAX. THE CAPT STAYED IN THE AIRPLANE AND I WENT INSIDE TO GET A DRINK OF WATER ON OUR 15 MIN TURN. THAT'S WHEN THE STATION MGR INFORMED ME WE LANDED ON RWY 31, A CLOSED RWY, BUT THAT IT JUST NOW OPENED UP. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID BY ANYONE AT UIN. WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT RWY 13/31 AND RWY 4/22 HAVE BEEN OPENED AND CLOSED A FEW TIMES A DAY FOR THE PAST 2 WKS. THERE WERE A FEW OTHERS FROM OUR AIRLINE AS WELL AS A C- 172 JUST BEHIND US WHO ALSO LANDED ON RWY 31 WHEN IT WAS CLOSED. WE THEN LOOKED AT THE DISPATCH RELEASE AND SAW THAT RWY 13/31 WAS INDEED CLOSED. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THE CAPT LOOKED AT THE DISPATCH RELEASE AND DID NOT REMEMBER ABOUT THE CLOSED RWYS. I LOOKED AT THE RELEASE ALSO BUT CHKED THE MINIMUM FUEL, VALID TIME, WX, IF WE HAD AN ALTERNATE, BUT I DID NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE BOTTOM PART OF THE RELEASE WHERE THE NOTAMS AND WINDS ALOFT ARE. SOME OF THESE RELEASES WE GET ARE VERY LENGTHY AND USUALLY ONLY A MIN FOR THE FO TO REVIEW IT BEFORE WE GO. SINCE THEN I HAVE TAKEN THE EXTRA MINS TO LOOK THE RELEASE OVER VERY CAREFULLY NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES. THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG ON THE SECOND DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. LATER WE BOTH ADMITTED TO BEING VERY TIRED AS WE HAD FLOWN 7 HRS AND 29 MINS THE DAY BEFORE WITH ONLY A 10 HR REST PERIOD AT A HOTEL AND NEITHER OF US HAD A GOOD SLEEP. I FEEL IF WE WERE BETTER RESTED THE CAPT MIGHT HAVE REMEMBERED THE CLOSED RWY AND I MIGHT HAVE TAKEN THE EXTRA MIN TO READ THE FULL RELEASE. ALSO, ZKC DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT ANY NOTAMS, THEY USUALLY DO. WE HAVE TO CALL IN RANGE (ABOUT 10 MINS OUT) WITH OUR FUEL LOAD AND ETA. AT UNCTLED FIELDS THEY SHOULD REMIND US OF ANY RWY CLOSURES OR ANY OTHER NOTAM FOR THAT ARPT. WE ALSO FLY INTO BRL AND THEY ALWAYS REMIND US OF ANY NOTAMS. I'M NOT SAYING THEY SHOULD DO OUR JOB BUT IT'S NICE FOR EVERYONE TO LOOK OUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE. WHY WEREN'T THERE ANY X'S ON RWY 13/31? RWY 4/22 HAD X'S ON THEM. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT WAS MOSTLY THE FAULT OF THE CREW, BUT I RECOMMEND A FEW CHANGES: 1) THAT CREWS SHOULD GET A FULL 8 HRS OF SLEEP A NIGHT -- ELIMINATE THIS 8 HR REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT AND ALL OTHER OVERNIGHTS UNDER 11- 12 HRS LONG. 2) THE FO IS VERY BUSY BOARDING THE PAX, LOOKING UP V SPDS AND WTS, SO WE SHOULD HAVE A FEW EXTRA MINS TO LOOK OVER THE RELEASE VERY CAREFULLY BY ELIMINATING ALL TURNS UNDER 30 MINS. 3) HAVE THE STATION PERSONNEL AT UNCTLED FIELDS TELL US OR REMIND US OF ANY NOTAMS. 4) MAKE SURE MAINT CREWS PUT X'S ON CLOSED RWYS WHEN THEY ARE CLOSED.

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.