Narrative:

I was flying to different airports in the area to practice lndgs. I also like to be more knowledgeable of the various airports across the state, in the event I am called into the area by the civil air patrol. I am familiar with the airport, and have landed there several times both day and night. The present runway is a fairly new overlay of blacktop. The present runway has a 400 ft displaced threshold and is so marked to the turn-around area of the overlayed blacktop. Beyond the newer blacktop there is (estimated) 150-200 ft of very old and gray blacktop material. This hardtop has no markings to indicate it might be part of the displaced threshold. In fact it has been abandoned because of the hill and trees on the west end, and also it had quite a bit of drop off slope which would make it very dangerous to use for landing, and also for takeoffs. At the very end, next to the grass, there was a yellow X. When I overflew the airport, before landing, I noticed the yellow X which was 150-200 ft beyond the turn around area, the end of the blacktop which is several yrs old, and beyond the centerline arrows pointing to the displaced threshold line. At the time I noticed the yellow X, I thought to myself 'they have finally marked that old abandoned runway so that a stranger will realize it is not usable.' to my amazement, I later that day was advised that those were closed runway markings. My experience, and I have seen them numerous times, the yellow X is placed on the usable area of a runway. At that airport I would expect the X to be close to the displaced threshold or over the numbers where they would clearly be noticeable. At the very least they would be at the turn around area (end of the usable part of a runway) and where the green lights are. On that day, the X was at least 200 ft beyond that area. At night it would be impossible to see the X. There are no lights in the area, and the aircraft landing light would not hit it because the pilot would be using the green lights at the end of the runway for guidance to the touchdown zone. I understand that the yellow X was there to close the airport for repainting numbers, displaced threshold, but not that abandoned old material. It is very obvious by contrast of materials which part of the runway is to be used and also the center arrows on the newer area denote usable surface. There were no workers on the runway at the time of the first landing, which again would be a clue to not use the runway. The people who contracted the painting job should have been advised more closely as to the areas pilots expect to see the X. On the usable part of a runway, not 150 ft beyond. The aim section very clearly shows the X on the runway, not beyond.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT MISTAKENLY LANDS ON A CLOSED RWY ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING TO DIFFERENT ARPTS IN THE AREA TO PRACTICE LNDGS. I ALSO LIKE TO BE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE VARIOUS ARPTS ACROSS THE STATE, IN THE EVENT I AM CALLED INTO THE AREA BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, AND HAVE LANDED THERE SEVERAL TIMES BOTH DAY AND NIGHT. THE PRESENT RWY IS A FAIRLY NEW OVERLAY OF BLACKTOP. THE PRESENT RWY HAS A 400 FT DISPLACED THRESHOLD AND IS SO MARKED TO THE TURN-AROUND AREA OF THE OVERLAYED BLACKTOP. BEYOND THE NEWER BLACKTOP THERE IS (ESTIMATED) 150-200 FT OF VERY OLD AND GRAY BLACKTOP MATERIAL. THIS HARDTOP HAS NO MARKINGS TO INDICATE IT MIGHT BE PART OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. IN FACT IT HAS BEEN ABANDONED BECAUSE OF THE HILL AND TREES ON THE W END, AND ALSO IT HAD QUITE A BIT OF DROP OFF SLOPE WHICH WOULD MAKE IT VERY DANGEROUS TO USE FOR LNDG, AND ALSO FOR TKOFS. AT THE VERY END, NEXT TO THE GRASS, THERE WAS A YELLOW X. WHEN I OVERFLEW THE ARPT, BEFORE LNDG, I NOTICED THE YELLOW X WHICH WAS 150-200 FT BEYOND THE TURN AROUND AREA, THE END OF THE BLACKTOP WHICH IS SEVERAL YRS OLD, AND BEYOND THE CTRLINE ARROWS POINTING TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD LINE. AT THE TIME I NOTICED THE YELLOW X, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF 'THEY HAVE FINALLY MARKED THAT OLD ABANDONED RWY SO THAT A STRANGER WILL REALIZE IT IS NOT USABLE.' TO MY AMAZEMENT, I LATER THAT DAY WAS ADVISED THAT THOSE WERE CLOSED RWY MARKINGS. MY EXPERIENCE, AND I HAVE SEEN THEM NUMEROUS TIMES, THE YELLOW X IS PLACED ON THE USABLE AREA OF A RWY. AT THAT ARPT I WOULD EXPECT THE X TO BE CLOSE TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OR OVER THE NUMBERS WHERE THEY WOULD CLRLY BE NOTICEABLE. AT THE VERY LEAST THEY WOULD BE AT THE TURN AROUND AREA (END OF THE USABLE PART OF A RWY) AND WHERE THE GREEN LIGHTS ARE. ON THAT DAY, THE X WAS AT LEAST 200 FT BEYOND THAT AREA. AT NIGHT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE X. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS IN THE AREA, AND THE ACFT LNDG LIGHT WOULD NOT HIT IT BECAUSE THE PLT WOULD BE USING THE GREEN LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE RWY FOR GUIDANCE TO THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE YELLOW X WAS THERE TO CLOSE THE ARPT FOR REPAINTING NUMBERS, DISPLACED THRESHOLD, BUT NOT THAT ABANDONED OLD MATERIAL. IT IS VERY OBVIOUS BY CONTRAST OF MATERIALS WHICH PART OF THE RWY IS TO BE USED AND ALSO THE CTR ARROWS ON THE NEWER AREA DENOTE USABLE SURFACE. THERE WERE NO WORKERS ON THE RWY AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST LNDG, WHICH AGAIN WOULD BE A CLUE TO NOT USE THE RWY. THE PEOPLE WHO CONTRACTED THE PAINTING JOB SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED MORE CLOSELY AS TO THE AREAS PLTS EXPECT TO SEE THE X. ON THE USABLE PART OF A RWY, NOT 150 FT BEYOND. THE AIM SECTION VERY CLEARLY SHOWS THE X ON THE RWY, NOT BEYOND.

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.