Narrative:

No mention was made by dispatch, the company agent, or the construction crew (on CTAF) that grayling airport was closed. Upon overflt of the runway I noticed 1 'X' at the very ends of each runway, and a long ways outside of the displaced thresholds. It appeared as though only a portion of the runway was closed. There has been a construction crew working on the runway for several months and they often close only portions of the runway with similar 'X's' to mark the closed areas. The area between the displaced thresholds had the edges marked with cones, had no 'X's' on it and looked smooth and open. I landed uneventfully at XA58 local time. After shutdown, a construction employee told me the entire runway was closed until X800 local time. They were then removing the 'X's' and I departed. I contacted both kenai and bethel FSS and asked for grayling NOTAMS. I was told there were none. When I asked again and specifically for runway NOTAMS, they mentioned a displaced threshold only. Grayling is an unimproved dirt strip. This incident could have been prevented if the 'X's' were put on the actual runway inside the threshold markers, not in the overrun areas. This airstrip has been marked only partially closed with 'X's' for several months, so to close the whole strip without clearly showing that the whole airstrip is closed caused the incident. Many airplanes have been landing on open portions of the airstrip right beside 'X's' that closed other portions ever since construction began several months ago. A contributing factor could have been that FSS had to be asked twice before grayling NOTAMS were mentioned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT LANDS ON CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: NO MENTION WAS MADE BY DISPATCH, THE COMPANY AGENT, OR THE CONSTRUCTION CREW (ON CTAF) THAT GRAYLING ARPT WAS CLOSED. UPON OVERFLT OF THE RWY I NOTICED 1 'X' AT THE VERY ENDS OF EACH RWY, AND A LONG WAYS OUTSIDE OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLDS. IT APPEARED AS THOUGH ONLY A PORTION OF THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THERE HAS BEEN A CONSTRUCTION CREW WORKING ON THE RWY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND THEY OFTEN CLOSE ONLY PORTIONS OF THE RWY WITH SIMILAR 'X'S' TO MARK THE CLOSED AREAS. THE AREA BTWN THE DISPLACED THRESHOLDS HAD THE EDGES MARKED WITH CONES, HAD NO 'X'S' ON IT AND LOOKED SMOOTH AND OPEN. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT XA58 LCL TIME. AFTER SHUTDOWN, A CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYEE TOLD ME THE ENTIRE RWY WAS CLOSED UNTIL X800 LCL TIME. THEY WERE THEN REMOVING THE 'X'S' AND I DEPARTED. I CONTACTED BOTH KENAI AND BETHEL FSS AND ASKED FOR GRAYLING NOTAMS. I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NONE. WHEN I ASKED AGAIN AND SPECIFICALLY FOR RWY NOTAMS, THEY MENTIONED A DISPLACED THRESHOLD ONLY. GRAYLING IS AN UNIMPROVED DIRT STRIP. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE 'X'S' WERE PUT ON THE ACTUAL RWY INSIDE THE THRESHOLD MARKERS, NOT IN THE OVERRUN AREAS. THIS AIRSTRIP HAS BEEN MARKED ONLY PARTIALLY CLOSED WITH 'X'S' FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, SO TO CLOSE THE WHOLE STRIP WITHOUT CLRLY SHOWING THAT THE WHOLE AIRSTRIP IS CLOSED CAUSED THE INCIDENT. MANY AIRPLANES HAVE BEEN LNDG ON OPEN PORTIONS OF THE AIRSTRIP RIGHT BESIDE 'X'S' THAT CLOSED OTHER PORTIONS EVER SINCE CONSTRUCTION BEGAN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR COULD HAVE BEEN THAT FSS HAD TO BE ASKED TWICE BEFORE GRAYLING NOTAMS WERE MENTIONED.

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.