Rockwell commander pilot lands at closed airport due to family emergency.

Attributes
ACN	325343
Time
Date	199601
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ful
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Commander 112A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	325343
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My wife and I departed lpc en route to ful on a family emergency. The family emergency was as follows: my wife's mother who is an elderly widow living alone, had been burglarized while locked in her bedroom. She was badly traumatized by the event and needed our help. There are no other relatives living nearby. The WX was VFR. I did call the hawthorn FSS and got the recorded WX information, but did not talk to a briefer for NOTAMS due to the urgency of the situation. About 10 mi from ful I tuned the ATIS frequency and learned the airport was closed from BA00 until BB00 but without any explanation as to why. This is not normal for this airport and, since the time was only about BA05 at this point and the situation bordered on an emergency, I made the decision to go ahead and land. The actual landing was at BA10 and was completed without incident. I parked the airplane, after which I was approached by an airport maintenance person who informed me the reason for the closure was for maintenance. He asked me for my name, address and phone number, which I gave him. Prior to the takeoff from lompoc my wife had called a friend who lived near ful and asked her to meet us at the airport between BA00 and BA15 so she could give us a ride to my mother-in-law's home. The friend was waiting and took us as requested.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROCKWELL COMMANDER PLT LANDS AT CLOSED ARPT DUE TO FAMILY EMER.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I DEPARTED LPC ENRTE TO FUL ON A FAMILY EMER. THE FAMILY EMER WAS AS FOLLOWS: MY WIFE'S MOTHER WHO IS AN ELDERLY WIDOW LIVING ALONE, HAD BEEN BURGLARIZED WHILE LOCKED IN HER BEDROOM. SHE WAS BADLY TRAUMATIZED BY THE EVENT AND NEEDED OUR HELP. THERE ARE NO OTHER RELATIVES LIVING NEARBY. THE WX WAS VFR. I DID CALL THE HAWTHORN FSS AND GOT THE RECORDED WX INFO, BUT DID NOT TALK TO A BRIEFER FOR NOTAMS DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THE SIT. ABOUT 10 MI FROM FUL I TUNED THE ATIS FREQ AND LEARNED THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FROM BA00 UNTIL BB00 BUT WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY. THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR THIS ARPT AND, SINCE THE TIME WAS ONLY ABOUT BA05 AT THIS POINT AND THE SIT BORDERED ON AN EMER, I MADE THE DECISION TO GO AHEAD AND LAND. THE ACTUAL LNDG WAS AT BA10 AND WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I PARKED THE AIRPLANE, AFTER WHICH I WAS APCHED BY AN ARPT MAINT PERSON WHO INFORMED ME THE REASON FOR THE CLOSURE WAS FOR MAINT. HE ASKED ME FOR MY NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER, WHICH I GAVE HIM. PRIOR TO THE TKOF FROM LOMPOC MY WIFE HAD CALLED A FRIEND WHO LIVED NEAR FUL AND ASKED HER TO MEET US AT THE ARPT BTWN BA00 AND BA15 SO SHE COULD GIVE US A RIDE TO MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S HOME. THE FRIEND WAS WAITING AND TOOK US AS REQUESTED.

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.