Narrative:

Flight departed jfk. Trip was uneventful until while on vectors to final approach at bos. At that time we were informed that bos was closed for snow removal. We then decided to divert to our filed alternate airport pvd. We made an uneventful landing in light snow on runway 23 at pvd. While sitting at the gate at pvd, tower informed us that the tower was now closed. Meanwhile, in coordination with our company, it was decided we would refuel the aircraft and wait until bos reopened. Our company dispatch filed an IFR flight plan for our leg from pvd to bos. I contacted bridgeport clearance and was informed by the controller that bos was still closed and no clearance would be available until bos reopened. I then told the controller I would be monitoring frequency and would he please contact us with any updates. The controller at bridgeport clearance gave us the following NOTAM for pvd: 'runway 16/34 closed, runway 5/23 closed, available with 30 mins prior permission.' we then asked the controller 'who do we get the prior permission from,' and he replied 'ZBW controls it.' around this time I noticed a snowplow on runway 5/23 and assumed that runway was closed for snow removal. We then got our aircraft deiced and meanwhile the light snow had stopped. Bridgeport clearance told us to expect release from ZBW within 30 mins. We then replied to them we were going to taxi out to runway 23 so we would be ready to go when ZBW released us. Around this time we noticed what appeared to be an air carrier B737 land on runway 23, so we proceeded to taxi to runway 23. At this point the runway 5/23 runway lights were on (the runway 16/34 runway lights were out), and all snow removal on runway 5/23 appeared to be completed. We held short of runway 23 on taxiway a to await our release. At this point the runway 23 approach lights, high intensity runway lights and centerline lights were all on. The runway was plowed and the visibility was good, as the snow had stopped, we could easily see the length of the runway. We received the following clearance from bridgeport clearance: 'cleared to boston via heading 140 degrees, climb to 2000 ft, contact ZBW, void time 10 mins.' we then informed bridgeport clearance we were taking off at this time on runway 23. I made a call in the blind, and after visually clearing the final and the runway, we made an uneventful takeoff. On departure we contacted ZBW on our assigned frequency and completed an uneventful flight to boston. Several days later I was informed by our union representatives that we were being investigated for taking off from a closed airport. I believe the above incident could have been prevented, if in fact the runway was closed, by simply turning off the approach and runway lights. This would give crews a visual indication of a runway closure at an uncontrolled airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ENRTE, A COMMUTER FLC DIVERTED TO PVD WHEN THEIR DEST WAS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. WHILE ON THE GND AT PVD, THE FLC WAS INFORMED THAT PVD RWYS WERE CLOSED UNLESS 30 MINS PRIOR PERMISSION WAS RECEIVED FROM CTR. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE FLC DEPARTED WHEN THEY RECEIVED THEIR IFR CLRNC FROM FSS.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED JFK. TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL WHILE ON VECTORS TO FINAL APCH AT BOS. AT THAT TIME WE WERE INFORMED THAT BOS WAS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. WE THEN DECIDED TO DIVERT TO OUR FILED ALTERNATE ARPT PVD. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN LIGHT SNOW ON RWY 23 AT PVD. WHILE SITTING AT THE GATE AT PVD, TWR INFORMED US THAT THE TWR WAS NOW CLOSED. MEANWHILE, IN COORD WITH OUR COMPANY, IT WAS DECIDED WE WOULD REFUEL THE ACFT AND WAIT UNTIL BOS REOPENED. OUR COMPANY DISPATCH FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR OUR LEG FROM PVD TO BOS. I CONTACTED BRIDGEPORT CLRNC AND WAS INFORMED BY THE CTLR THAT BOS WAS STILL CLOSED AND NO CLRNC WOULD BE AVAILABLE UNTIL BOS REOPENED. I THEN TOLD THE CTLR I WOULD BE MONITORING FREQ AND WOULD HE PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY UPDATES. THE CTLR AT BRIDGEPORT CLRNC GAVE US THE FOLLOWING NOTAM FOR PVD: 'RWY 16/34 CLOSED, RWY 5/23 CLOSED, AVAILABLE WITH 30 MINS PRIOR PERMISSION.' WE THEN ASKED THE CTLR 'WHO DO WE GET THE PRIOR PERMISSION FROM,' AND HE REPLIED 'ZBW CTLS IT.' AROUND THIS TIME I NOTICED A SNOWPLOW ON RWY 5/23 AND ASSUMED THAT RWY WAS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. WE THEN GOT OUR ACFT DEICED AND MEANWHILE THE LIGHT SNOW HAD STOPPED. BRIDGEPORT CLRNC TOLD US TO EXPECT RELEASE FROM ZBW WITHIN 30 MINS. WE THEN REPLIED TO THEM WE WERE GOING TO TAXI OUT TO RWY 23 SO WE WOULD BE READY TO GO WHEN ZBW RELEASED US. AROUND THIS TIME WE NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ACR B737 LAND ON RWY 23, SO WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO RWY 23. AT THIS POINT THE RWY 5/23 RWY LIGHTS WERE ON (THE RWY 16/34 RWY LIGHTS WERE OUT), AND ALL SNOW REMOVAL ON RWY 5/23 APPEARED TO BE COMPLETED. WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 23 ON TXWY A TO AWAIT OUR RELEASE. AT THIS POINT THE RWY 23 APCH LIGHTS, HIGH INTENSITY RWY LIGHTS AND CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE ALL ON. THE RWY WAS PLOWED AND THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, AS THE SNOW HAD STOPPED, WE COULD EASILY SEE THE LENGTH OF THE RWY. WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC FROM BRIDGEPORT CLRNC: 'CLRED TO BOSTON VIA HDG 140 DEGS, CLB TO 2000 FT, CONTACT ZBW, VOID TIME 10 MINS.' WE THEN INFORMED BRIDGEPORT CLRNC WE WERE TAKING OFF AT THIS TIME ON RWY 23. I MADE A CALL IN THE BLIND, AND AFTER VISUALLY CLRING THE FINAL AND THE RWY, WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF. ON DEP WE CONTACTED ZBW ON OUR ASSIGNED FREQ AND COMPLETED AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO BOSTON. SEVERAL DAYS LATER I WAS INFORMED BY OUR UNION REPRESENTATIVES THAT WE WERE BEING INVESTIGATED FOR TAKING OFF FROM A CLOSED ARPT. I BELIEVE THE ABOVE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, IF IN FACT THE RWY WAS CLOSED, BY SIMPLY TURNING OFF THE APCH AND RWY LIGHTS. THIS WOULD GIVE CREWS A VISUAL INDICATION OF A RWY CLOSURE AT AN UNCTLED ARPT.

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.