Narrative:

On jun/thur/96, we had left st george, ut, in our varieze and were headed to farmington, NM. Due to a storm between kayenta and farmington, we elected to land at kayenta, az. No X was on the runway. After landing, we were informed by the job inspector that the airport was closed and we were not to takeoff. He said the airport would be opened the next wednesday. We left our varieze on the parking ramp and since we park it with the retractable nose gear extended, we use a cable and lock to make sure no one moves it that doesn't understand about it tipping over backwards with no one in it. Friday morning the inspector told us that they would rejuvenate the runway that day and open it sat and sun and then close it down again. Sat morning we went to the airport and the lock had been smashed and not released, the rod retracting the nosewheel had been disconnected by taking the bolt out and, of course, the spacers fell out. The rod on the inside was bent and the bolt returned without the spacers. I checked the plane over and straightened the rod out. Then my wife found the spacers and we then understood how they had been able to move the plane without getting the lock to open. No note was on the plane to tell us of what they had done, how it was damaged, and that it was not safe to fly. I do not know if the inspector and the contractor worked together on this. Since this is a federal offense and a shameful way to operate, I think it wise to see that it will not happen again. The oil truck drivers told me that they had told them (I do not know who they referred to by this statement -- the contractor or the inspector) that X's should be put on the ends of the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: during a callback the reporter stated that he had contacted the local sheriff for approval to depart on an airport access road. This was approved but not necessary because the airport manager decided to open the runway for the weekend. The reporter thought about reporting the tampering with the nose gear incident to the FAA and the sheriff but decided against it, since there was no permanent damage. However, he was very upset when he discovered the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR OF SMA EXPERIMENTAL ACFT DIVERTED BECAUSE OF WX AND LANDED AT AN ARPT WHOSE RWY WAS ALLEGEDLY CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION, BUT NO X'S WERE PLACED ON THE RWYS TO SIGNIFY CLOSURE. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN WAS ADVISED THAT X'S MUST BE PLACED ON THE RWYS TO OFFICIALLY CLOSE THE ARPT.

Narrative: ON JUN/THUR/96, WE HAD LEFT ST GEORGE, UT, IN OUR VARIEZE AND WERE HEADED TO FARMINGTON, NM. DUE TO A STORM BTWN KAYENTA AND FARMINGTON, WE ELECTED TO LAND AT KAYENTA, AZ. NO X WAS ON THE RWY. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE INFORMED BY THE JOB INSPECTOR THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED AND WE WERE NOT TO TKOF. HE SAID THE ARPT WOULD BE OPENED THE NEXT WEDNESDAY. WE LEFT OUR VARIEZE ON THE PARKING RAMP AND SINCE WE PARK IT WITH THE RETRACTABLE NOSE GEAR EXTENDED, WE USE A CABLE AND LOCK TO MAKE SURE NO ONE MOVES IT THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT IT TIPPING OVER BACKWARDS WITH NO ONE IN IT. FRIDAY MORNING THE INSPECTOR TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD REJUVENATE THE RWY THAT DAY AND OPEN IT SAT AND SUN AND THEN CLOSE IT DOWN AGAIN. SAT MORNING WE WENT TO THE ARPT AND THE LOCK HAD BEEN SMASHED AND NOT RELEASED, THE ROD RETRACTING THE NOSEWHEEL HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED BY TAKING THE BOLT OUT AND, OF COURSE, THE SPACERS FELL OUT. THE ROD ON THE INSIDE WAS BENT AND THE BOLT RETURNED WITHOUT THE SPACERS. I CHKED THE PLANE OVER AND STRAIGHTENED THE ROD OUT. THEN MY WIFE FOUND THE SPACERS AND WE THEN UNDERSTOOD HOW THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THE PLANE WITHOUT GETTING THE LOCK TO OPEN. NO NOTE WAS ON THE PLANE TO TELL US OF WHAT THEY HAD DONE, HOW IT WAS DAMAGED, AND THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE TO FLY. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE INSPECTOR AND THE CONTRACTOR WORKED TOGETHER ON THIS. SINCE THIS IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE AND A SHAMEFUL WAY TO OPERATE, I THINK IT WISE TO SEE THAT IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. THE OIL TRUCK DRIVERS TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD TOLD THEM (I DO NOT KNOW WHO THEY REFERRED TO BY THIS STATEMENT -- THE CONTRACTOR OR THE INSPECTOR) THAT X'S SHOULD BE PUT ON THE ENDS OF THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING A CALLBACK THE RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD CONTACTED THE LCL SHERIFF FOR APPROVAL TO DEPART ON AN ARPT ACCESS ROAD. THIS WAS APPROVED BUT NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE THE ARPT MGR DECIDED TO OPEN THE RWY FOR THE WEEKEND. THE RPTR THOUGHT ABOUT RPTING THE TAMPERING WITH THE NOSE GEAR INCIDENT TO THE FAA AND THE SHERIFF BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT, SINCE THERE WAS NO PERMANENT DAMAGE. HOWEVER, HE WAS VERY UPSET WHEN HE DISCOVERED THE INCIDENT.

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.