Narrative:

Our aircraft was late inbound to the hub (cvg) due to WX. On the preflight we found mechanical problem that would take about 45 mins to fix. We departed about 1 hour late (XA15). Approaching our destination (azo) center informed us that 'runway 17/35 is closed and is notamed that way, say intentions.' we called cvg dispatch and they said that they had made arrangements to keep the runway open for several flts that were late inbound to azo due to WX. We talked to the azo station personnel and also to the maintenance person at azo and they all said that they were waiting for us to get in before they began working on the runway. I relayed this information to ZAU, who said that 'the runway is still notamed closed at XB00' and he could not clear me for an approach to that runway. We then contacted lan radio to see if they could revise the NOTAM, but they needed a call from the azo airport manager. The company could not get ahold of the airport manager so dispatch and I came to the conclusion that we had to divert back to cvg. This was accomplished without further incident. As PIC I should have read over the NOTAMS more closely. There was a lot of thunderstorm activity in the area and the flight was late (so the release had been completed about 2-3 hours earlier) so I had pulled up more current WX from the computer. I then reviewed this WX (that did not have the NOTAMS attached to it) and did not double-check the NOTAMS on the release. Dispatch was under the belief (I believe mistaken belief) that a verbal ok from some maintenance worker was good enough to land on a runway that was notamed closed, but I believe that that would have been unsafe and illegal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT DIVERTED BACK TO ARPT ORIGIN AFTER FINDING OUT THAT THE DEST RWY WAS NOTAMED CLOSED.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS LATE INBOUND TO THE HUB (CVG) DUE TO WX. ON THE PREFLT WE FOUND MECHANICAL PROB THAT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 45 MINS TO FIX. WE DEPARTED ABOUT 1 HR LATE (XA15). APCHING OUR DEST (AZO) CTR INFORMED US THAT 'RWY 17/35 IS CLOSED AND IS NOTAMED THAT WAY, SAY INTENTIONS.' WE CALLED CVG DISPATCH AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO KEEP THE RWY OPEN FOR SEVERAL FLTS THAT WERE LATE INBOUND TO AZO DUE TO WX. WE TALKED TO THE AZO STATION PERSONNEL AND ALSO TO THE MAINT PERSON AT AZO AND THEY ALL SAID THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR US TO GET IN BEFORE THEY BEGAN WORKING ON THE RWY. I RELAYED THIS INFO TO ZAU, WHO SAID THAT 'THE RWY IS STILL NOTAMED CLOSED AT XB00' AND HE COULD NOT CLR ME FOR AN APCH TO THAT RWY. WE THEN CONTACTED LAN RADIO TO SEE IF THEY COULD REVISE THE NOTAM, BUT THEY NEEDED A CALL FROM THE AZO ARPT MGR. THE COMPANY COULD NOT GET AHOLD OF THE ARPT MGR SO DISPATCH AND I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE HAD TO DIVERT BACK TO CVG. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AS PIC I SHOULD HAVE READ OVER THE NOTAMS MORE CLOSELY. THERE WAS A LOT OF TSTM ACTIVITY IN THE AREA AND THE FLT WAS LATE (SO THE RELEASE HAD BEEN COMPLETED ABOUT 2-3 HRS EARLIER) SO I HAD PULLED UP MORE CURRENT WX FROM THE COMPUTER. I THEN REVIEWED THIS WX (THAT DID NOT HAVE THE NOTAMS ATTACHED TO IT) AND DID NOT DOUBLE-CHK THE NOTAMS ON THE RELEASE. DISPATCH WAS UNDER THE BELIEF (I BELIEVE MISTAKEN BELIEF) THAT A VERBAL OK FROM SOME MAINT WORKER WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO LAND ON A RWY THAT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE AND ILLEGAL.

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.