Narrative:

Satellites picked up 'ELT hits' in area around charlotte county airport pgd. USAF assigned cap to search for ELT. We conducted an air search and located an ELT signal on or near buckingham airport (private). The airport is used by lee county mosquito control authority/authorized. They have several helicopters and 6 dc-3's used for aerial spraying. We opted to land and conduct a ground search to locate the ELT. The airport has 2 runways: 08-24 and (approximately) 33-15. The 33-15 runway was marked with a yellow 'X.' we landed on runway 24. After contacting the chief pilot of the mosquito operation, a check was made of all their aircraft, but to no avail. Hand-held ELT/DF still indicated strong signal in airport vicinity. Chief pilot then disclosed that there was a private, residential airpark (unmarked on charts) adjacent to buckingham airport. He explained that 'they' used runway 33-15. When asked about the fact that there was a yellow 'X' on the runway, he said, 'nobody pays attention to it. The runway is actually open and useable.' it appears to me that this is a dangerous situation. If the yellow 'X' doesn't mean the runway is actually closed, how will they indicate this fact if a situation subsequently warrants closing the runway? (A trench dug across the runway, or what-have-you.) once pilots start telling each other, 'don't pay attention to that yellow 'X,' then that's exactly what they will do, even if the 'X' is for real! This yellow 'X' should be removed or painted over immediately. That way, a subsequent 'real' X will have some meaning. (FAA, florida department of aviation, lee county department of airports??) (by the way, the errant ELT was located in a hangar adjoining a private residence in the airpark, and was shut down.) callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he did not mention this discrepancy at the time because it is a private airport and the people were being very cooperative with the search procedures. He did not feel as a representative of captain that he was in a position to comment directly. He stated that there are about 2 dozen homes at the airpark and then the transient visitors whom they invite to use the airport and 'ignore the 'X's.' reporter feels perhaps ASRS can nudge the pwrs that be to change this condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR QUESTIONS USE OF 'X'S' ON PVT ARPT WHICH PLTS ARE TOLD TO IGNORE AND LAND.

Narrative: SATELLITES PICKED UP 'ELT HITS' IN AREA AROUND CHARLOTTE COUNTY ARPT PGD. USAF ASSIGNED CAP TO SEARCH FOR ELT. WE CONDUCTED AN AIR SEARCH AND LOCATED AN ELT SIGNAL ON OR NEAR BUCKINGHAM ARPT (PVT). THE ARPT IS USED BY LEE COUNTY MOSQUITO CTL AUTH. THEY HAVE SEVERAL HELIS AND 6 DC-3'S USED FOR AERIAL SPRAYING. WE OPTED TO LAND AND CONDUCT A GND SEARCH TO LOCATE THE ELT. THE ARPT HAS 2 RWYS: 08-24 AND (APPROX) 33-15. THE 33-15 RWY WAS MARKED WITH A YELLOW 'X.' WE LANDED ON RWY 24. AFTER CONTACTING THE CHIEF PLT OF THE MOSQUITO OP, A CHK WAS MADE OF ALL THEIR ACFT, BUT TO NO AVAIL. HAND-HELD ELT/DF STILL INDICATED STRONG SIGNAL IN ARPT VICINITY. CHIEF PLT THEN DISCLOSED THAT THERE WAS A PVT, RESIDENTIAL AIRPARK (UNMARKED ON CHARTS) ADJACENT TO BUCKINGHAM ARPT. HE EXPLAINED THAT 'THEY' USED RWY 33-15. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A YELLOW 'X' ON THE RWY, HE SAID, 'NOBODY PAYS ATTN TO IT. THE RWY IS ACTUALLY OPEN AND USEABLE.' IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS SIT. IF THE YELLOW 'X' DOESN'T MEAN THE RWY IS ACTUALLY CLOSED, HOW WILL THEY INDICATE THIS FACT IF A SIT SUBSEQUENTLY WARRANTS CLOSING THE RWY? (A TRENCH DUG ACROSS THE RWY, OR WHAT-HAVE-YOU.) ONCE PLTS START TELLING EACH OTHER, 'DON'T PAY ATTN TO THAT YELLOW 'X,' THEN THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY WILL DO, EVEN IF THE 'X' IS FOR REAL! THIS YELLOW 'X' SHOULD BE REMOVED OR PAINTED OVER IMMEDIATELY. THAT WAY, A SUBSEQUENT 'REAL' X WILL HAVE SOME MEANING. (FAA, FLORIDA DEPT OF AVIATION, LEE COUNTY DEPT OF ARPTS??) (BY THE WAY, THE ERRANT ELT WAS LOCATED IN A HANGAR ADJOINING A PVT RESIDENCE IN THE AIRPARK, AND WAS SHUT DOWN.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE DID NOT MENTION THIS DISCREPANCY AT THE TIME BECAUSE IT IS A PVT ARPT AND THE PEOPLE WERE BEING VERY COOPERATIVE WITH THE SEARCH PROCS. HE DID NOT FEEL AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF CAPT THAT HE WAS IN A POS TO COMMENT DIRECTLY. HE STATED THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 2 DOZEN HOMES AT THE AIRPARK AND THEN THE TRANSIENT VISITORS WHOM THEY INVITE TO USE THE ARPT AND 'IGNORE THE 'X'S.' RPTR FEELS PERHAPS ASRS CAN NUDGE THE PWRS THAT BE TO CHANGE THIS CONDITION.

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.