Narrative:

Unintentional landing on a closed runway. At about XA45 am on a flight from geg to eph VFR I called eph unicom approximately 15 mi out and received no response. I knew the wind was light and variable out of the south. The WX was clear and 30 mi. Coming from geg I entered a left base to final for runway 20. The airport and its runways have extensive cracks in the asphalt and concrete with grass and weeds growing up out of them, especially runway 20's first 1000-1500 ft. The rest of the 6699 ft runway is also cracked but the grass isn't quite as high. I have always approached high to land after this bad portion of runway with more than 2500 ft left by the time I turn off at the taxiway at approximately 4400 ft down the runway. As I was turning final I noticed a truck entering the airport and heading for the taxiway where I normally turn off. I didn't notice any flags or lights on the truck as he proceeded across the runway in plenty of time for me to complete my approach and landing. On the rollout when I got to the taxiway I discovered that it was broken up and not suitable for taxiing on so I thought something's fishy here so as I continued to roll on I noticed 2 workers on each side of the runway at the very end cutting asphalt, with an X on the numbers between them. It was not till then that I realized that I must have landed on a closed runway. I had checked NOTAMS 3 hours prior to this and I don't recall seeing one on eph, especially for a runway closure. Contributing factors that I feel that led up to this are: the high approach to avoid the worst of the cracks and grass. The poor maintenance of the first 1000-1500 ft of runway which allowed grass and weeds to obscure the X on the approach end numbers. The distraction of the truck movement about the airport. Insufficient X's on the runway. Corrective actions I feel could help prevent this sort of occurrence are: upon the closure of an otherwise active runway, a vertical X be placed at each end for a minimum of 7 days. And/or more X's used along the length of the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR LANDED UNINTENTIONALLY ON A CLOSED RWY AT AN UNCTLED ARPT FROM A L BASE PATTERN ENTRY.

Narrative: UNINTENTIONAL LNDG ON A CLOSED RWY. AT ABOUT XA45 AM ON A FLT FROM GEG TO EPH VFR I CALLED EPH UNICOM APPROX 15 MI OUT AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I KNEW THE WIND WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE OUT OF THE S. THE WX WAS CLR AND 30 MI. COMING FROM GEG I ENTERED A L BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 20. THE ARPT AND ITS RWYS HAVE EXTENSIVE CRACKS IN THE ASPHALT AND CONCRETE WITH GRASS AND WEEDS GROWING UP OUT OF THEM, ESPECIALLY RWY 20'S FIRST 1000-1500 FT. THE REST OF THE 6699 FT RWY IS ALSO CRACKED BUT THE GRASS ISN'T QUITE AS HIGH. I HAVE ALWAYS APCHED HIGH TO LAND AFTER THIS BAD PORTION OF RWY WITH MORE THAN 2500 FT LEFT BY THE TIME I TURN OFF AT THE TXWY AT APPROX 4400 FT DOWN THE RWY. AS I WAS TURNING FINAL I NOTICED A TRUCK ENTERING THE ARPT AND HDG FOR THE TXWY WHERE I NORMALLY TURN OFF. I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY FLAGS OR LIGHTS ON THE TRUCK AS HE PROCEEDED ACROSS THE RWY IN PLENTY OF TIME FOR ME TO COMPLETE MY APCH AND LNDG. ON THE ROLLOUT WHEN I GOT TO THE TXWY I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS BROKEN UP AND NOT SUITABLE FOR TAXIING ON SO I THOUGHT SOMETHING'S FISHY HERE SO AS I CONTINUED TO ROLL ON I NOTICED 2 WORKERS ON EACH SIDE OF THE RWY AT THE VERY END CUTTING ASPHALT, WITH AN X ON THE NUMBERS BTWN THEM. IT WAS NOT TILL THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I MUST HAVE LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY. I HAD CHKED NOTAMS 3 HRS PRIOR TO THIS AND I DON'T RECALL SEEING ONE ON EPH, ESPECIALLY FOR A RWY CLOSURE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT I FEEL THAT LED UP TO THIS ARE: THE HIGH APCH TO AVOID THE WORST OF THE CRACKS AND GRASS. THE POOR MAINT OF THE FIRST 1000-1500 FT OF RWY WHICH ALLOWED GRASS AND WEEDS TO OBSCURE THE X ON THE APCH END NUMBERS. THE DISTR OF THE TRUCK MOVEMENT ABOUT THE ARPT. INSUFFICIENT X'S ON THE RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS I FEEL COULD HELP PREVENT THIS SORT OF OCCURRENCE ARE: UPON THE CLOSURE OF AN OTHERWISE ACTIVE RWY, A VERT X BE PLACED AT EACH END FOR A MINIMUM OF 7 DAYS. AND/OR MORE X'S USED ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE RWY.

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.