Narrative:

I logged onto duat sometime after XE00Z (XA00 local time) and before XE30Z and got a complete WX briefing including the list of pertinent NOTAMS and a flight plan. We left for blm at about XM00. Got the plane (a C172), and after preflight and runup, we departed blm for baderfield (time off XF55Z). I listened to the acy ATIS for wind direction and altimeter setting when we got in range of the broadcast. I self-announced 5 mi north of the field (on acy CTAF 123.0), 45 degree to right downwind for runway 29, base and final. When I was on downwind, I noticed a fire truck at the end of runway 29 (runway 11 end) on the tall grass area. I did not see any fire or smoke and assumed that maybe there had been a brush fire or something like that. I checked the runway to make sure that it was clear of personnel and equipment. The runway was clear and I did not see X nor any other indication that the runway was closed. A few mins later, another cessna asked for an airport advisory on CTAF. The request went unanswered and I was too busy (on short final) to say anything. After we touched down (at about XG25 or XG30Z) on runway 29, the all quiet CTAF suddenly came to life with 'you just landed on a closed airport. Stop the aircraft and turn off your engine!' then the voice came back with 'pull over the next taxiway ramp area and shut off your engine!' I parked on the ramp area closest to the first taxiway and got out of the aircraft. A truck with atlantic city international markings on the door drove up to the plane, someone holding a handheld got out of the truck and still about 10 yds away, shouted (with a very emotional voice) something to the effect 'don't you pilots check NOTAMS before you land at an airport? Aren't you a pilot?' I asked when the airport had been closed. 'The incident has just occurred!' the atlantic city airport official answered. I started saying that I had checked the NOTAMS and reached into my shirt pocket to pull out the hard copy print of the duat session to prove it, he interrupted me with 'you have landed on an officially closed airport and we are going to file a complaint with the FAA. Give me your papers!' I submitted my pilot's license so he could copy my name and address. He noticed me looking for a badge or an identify and pulled out an identify and threw it on the hood of the truck. I copied his name, and gave the identify back to him. I started telling him about the duat printout again. He interrupted again with 'does your plane have an airworthiness certificate?' I got all the papers out. As I was planning to ask him how come he had not said anything on CTAF about the airport being closed, I heard him mutter something about 'screw offs' or 'screw ups.' after that, I gave up all hope of some rational interaction and kept quiet. I just asked when he thought the airport would be open again, while he was walking away. 'I don't know. The incident has just occurred!' was the reply. Later on, at about XS00Z, I called FSS from the restaurant. The kind, polite and professional specialist told me that the field was already open. I asked him when the NOTAM about the field being closed had gone out. He said that they (the FSS) had been told at XG00Z (XC00 local time) and that the NOTAM had gone out at about XG02Z (XC02 local time). I estimate that we probably boarded the plane at blm at about XF45Z (the latest). I feel that the atlantic city airport official should have told us on CTAF that the airport was closed when he first heard us self announce and not waited until we landed. We were lucky that the airport and the runway were safe when we landed. We would have had no warnings of the danger if it had not been safe and our lives (and possibly others) could have been put at great risk. The 'incident' by the way, was a twin that had gone off the end of runway 29.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED AT A CLOSED ARPT RWY.

Narrative: I LOGGED ONTO DUAT SOMETIME AFTER XE00Z (XA00 LCL TIME) AND BEFORE XE30Z AND GOT A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING INCLUDING THE LIST OF PERTINENT NOTAMS AND A FLT PLAN. WE LEFT FOR BLM AT ABOUT XM00. GOT THE PLANE (A C172), AND AFTER PREFLT AND RUNUP, WE DEPARTED BLM FOR BADERFIELD (TIME OFF XF55Z). I LISTENED TO THE ACY ATIS FOR WIND DIRECTION AND ALTIMETER SETTING WHEN WE GOT IN RANGE OF THE BROADCAST. I SELF-ANNOUNCED 5 MI N OF THE FIELD (ON ACY CTAF 123.0), 45 DEG TO R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29, BASE AND FINAL. WHEN I WAS ON DOWNWIND, I NOTICED A FIRE TRUCK AT THE END OF RWY 29 (RWY 11 END) ON THE TALL GRASS AREA. I DID NOT SEE ANY FIRE OR SMOKE AND ASSUMED THAT MAYBE THERE HAD BEEN A BRUSH FIRE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I CHKED THE RWY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS CLR OF PERSONNEL AND EQUIP. THE RWY WAS CLR AND I DID NOT SEE X NOR ANY OTHER INDICATION THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. A FEW MINS LATER, ANOTHER CESSNA ASKED FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY ON CTAF. THE REQUEST WENT UNANSWERED AND I WAS TOO BUSY (ON SHORT FINAL) TO SAY ANYTHING. AFTER WE TOUCHED DOWN (AT ABOUT XG25 OR XG30Z) ON RWY 29, THE ALL QUIET CTAF SUDDENLY CAME TO LIFE WITH 'YOU JUST LANDED ON A CLOSED ARPT. STOP THE ACFT AND TURN OFF YOUR ENG!' THEN THE VOICE CAME BACK WITH 'PULL OVER THE NEXT TXWY RAMP AREA AND SHUT OFF YOUR ENG!' I PARKED ON THE RAMP AREA CLOSEST TO THE FIRST TXWY AND GOT OUT OF THE ACFT. A TRUCK WITH ATLANTIC CITY INTL MARKINGS ON THE DOOR DROVE UP TO THE PLANE, SOMEONE HOLDING A HANDHELD GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK AND STILL ABOUT 10 YDS AWAY, SHOUTED (WITH A VERY EMOTIONAL VOICE) SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT 'DON'T YOU PLTS CHK NOTAMS BEFORE YOU LAND AT AN ARPT? AREN'T YOU A PLT?' I ASKED WHEN THE ARPT HAD BEEN CLOSED. 'THE INCIDENT HAS JUST OCCURRED!' THE ATLANTIC CITY ARPT OFFICIAL ANSWERED. I STARTED SAYING THAT I HAD CHKED THE NOTAMS AND REACHED INTO MY SHIRT POCKET TO PULL OUT THE HARD COPY PRINT OF THE DUAT SESSION TO PROVE IT, HE INTERRUPTED ME WITH 'YOU HAVE LANDED ON AN OFFICIALLY CLOSED ARPT AND WE ARE GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE FAA. GIVE ME YOUR PAPERS!' I SUBMITTED MY PLT'S LICENSE SO HE COULD COPY MY NAME AND ADDRESS. HE NOTICED ME LOOKING FOR A BADGE OR AN IDENT AND PULLED OUT AN IDENT AND THREW IT ON THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK. I COPIED HIS NAME, AND GAVE THE IDENT BACK TO HIM. I STARTED TELLING HIM ABOUT THE DUAT PRINTOUT AGAIN. HE INTERRUPTED AGAIN WITH 'DOES YOUR PLANE HAVE AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE?' I GOT ALL THE PAPERS OUT. AS I WAS PLANNING TO ASK HIM HOW COME HE HAD NOT SAID ANYTHING ON CTAF ABOUT THE ARPT BEING CLOSED, I HEARD HIM MUTTER SOMETHING ABOUT 'SCREW OFFS' OR 'SCREW UPS.' AFTER THAT, I GAVE UP ALL HOPE OF SOME RATIONAL INTERACTION AND KEPT QUIET. I JUST ASKED WHEN HE THOUGHT THE ARPT WOULD BE OPEN AGAIN, WHILE HE WAS WALKING AWAY. 'I DON'T KNOW. THE INCIDENT HAS JUST OCCURRED!' WAS THE REPLY. LATER ON, AT ABOUT XS00Z, I CALLED FSS FROM THE RESTAURANT. THE KIND, POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIST TOLD ME THAT THE FIELD WAS ALREADY OPEN. I ASKED HIM WHEN THE NOTAM ABOUT THE FIELD BEING CLOSED HAD GONE OUT. HE SAID THAT THEY (THE FSS) HAD BEEN TOLD AT XG00Z (XC00 LCL TIME) AND THAT THE NOTAM HAD GONE OUT AT ABOUT XG02Z (XC02 LCL TIME). I ESTIMATE THAT WE PROBABLY BOARDED THE PLANE AT BLM AT ABOUT XF45Z (THE LATEST). I FEEL THAT THE ATLANTIC CITY ARPT OFFICIAL SHOULD HAVE TOLD US ON CTAF THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED WHEN HE FIRST HEARD US SELF ANNOUNCE AND NOT WAITED UNTIL WE LANDED. WE WERE LUCKY THAT THE ARPT AND THE RWY WERE SAFE WHEN WE LANDED. WE WOULD HAVE HAD NO WARNINGS OF THE DANGER IF IT HAD NOT BEEN SAFE AND OUR LIVES (AND POSSIBLY OTHERS) COULD HAVE BEEN PUT AT GREAT RISK. THE 'INCIDENT' BY THE WAY, WAS A TWIN THAT HAD GONE OFF THE END OF RWY 29.

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.