Small aircraft pilot used duat for preflight briefing and NOTAM information. Due to lack of placemen...

Attributes
ACN	342758
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n51
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	342758
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Wanted to visit airport during balloon activity. Obtained duats briefing, didn't see NOTAMS. Called airport, got recorded message. No mention that airport was closed. Flew 1000 ft over airport. Saw turf strip was open, but main runway was closed. Saw 3-4 planes in pattern for turf. Entered pattern in standard manner (on a 45 degree downwind). Reported position on unicom but heard no other traffic using radio. Set up approach but went around for another try. Someone called me, told me turf strip was closed to public for the balloon activity (I left the area). After landing at home, I realized I had missed the NOTAM because I was scanning the NOTAM list for N51, but it was reported after '!miv' for the FSS facility, millville. In fact, the airspace was prohibited for the balloon activity. It would be simpler if NOTAMS started with the airport code, not the FSS code. Still, I should have looked more closely. I also wish the airport had mentioned the closure in their recorded phone message. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there has been no follow-up action. No comment was made to anyone. Reporter feels whoever called were local people and were waiting for someone from maine to arrive as they kept asking if reporter was from there. This is another problem that's present with NOTAM dissemination. It may be that the duat format is not the same as FAA for NOTAMS, but it should be. Pilots should not have to scan so many other areas when looking for information regarding a specific airport. Since the NOTAM is very often a safety issue, the NOTAMS should be well circulated and people easily informed. The suggestion for NOTAMS to start with an airport code is excellent. Since the airport did have a recorded message, it would have been sensible to have the closure stated there. Airport closed. Special interest activity balloon activity. Reporter aircraft was a grumman tiger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT USED DUAT FOR PREFLT BRIEFING AND NOTAM INFO. DUE TO LACK OF PLACEMENT WITH THE ARPT CODE, INFO WAS NOT NOTED. FLEW OVER CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: WANTED TO VISIT ARPT DURING BALLOON ACTIVITY. OBTAINED DUATS BRIEFING, DIDN'T SEE NOTAMS. CALLED ARPT, GOT RECORDED MESSAGE. NO MENTION THAT ARPT WAS CLOSED. FLEW 1000 FT OVER ARPT. SAW TURF STRIP WAS OPEN, BUT MAIN RWY WAS CLOSED. SAW 3-4 PLANES IN PATTERN FOR TURF. ENTERED PATTERN IN STANDARD MANNER (ON A 45 DEG DOWNWIND). RPTED POS ON UNICOM BUT HEARD NO OTHER TFC USING RADIO. SET UP APCH BUT WENT AROUND FOR ANOTHER TRY. SOMEONE CALLED ME, TOLD ME TURF STRIP WAS CLOSED TO PUBLIC FOR THE BALLOON ACTIVITY (I LEFT THE AREA). AFTER LNDG AT HOME, I REALIZED I HAD MISSED THE NOTAM BECAUSE I WAS SCANNING THE NOTAM LIST FOR N51, BUT IT WAS RPTED AFTER '!MIV' FOR THE FSS FACILITY, MILLVILLE. IN FACT, THE AIRSPACE WAS PROHIBITED FOR THE BALLOON ACTIVITY. IT WOULD BE SIMPLER IF NOTAMS STARTED WITH THE ARPT CODE, NOT THE FSS CODE. STILL, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED MORE CLOSELY. I ALSO WISH THE ARPT HAD MENTIONED THE CLOSURE IN THEIR RECORDED PHONE MESSAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW-UP ACTION. NO COMMENT WAS MADE TO ANYONE. RPTR FEELS WHOEVER CALLED WERE LCL PEOPLE AND WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE FROM MAINE TO ARRIVE AS THEY KEPT ASKING IF RPTR WAS FROM THERE. THIS IS ANOTHER PROB THAT'S PRESENT WITH NOTAM DISSEMINATION. IT MAY BE THAT THE DUAT FORMAT IS NOT THE SAME AS FAA FOR NOTAMS, BUT IT SHOULD BE. PLTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SCAN SO MANY OTHER AREAS WHEN LOOKING FOR INFO REGARDING A SPECIFIC ARPT. SINCE THE NOTAM IS VERY OFTEN A SAFETY ISSUE, THE NOTAMS SHOULD BE WELL CIRCULATED AND PEOPLE EASILY INFORMED. THE SUGGESTION FOR NOTAMS TO START WITH AN ARPT CODE IS EXCELLENT. SINCE THE ARPT DID HAVE A RECORDED MESSAGE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SENSIBLE TO HAVE THE CLOSURE STATED THERE. ARPT CLOSED. SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY BALLOON ACTIVITY. RPTR ACFT WAS A GRUMMAN TIGER.

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.

Small aircraft pilot used duat for preflight briefing and NOTAM information. Due to lack of placement with the airport code, information was not noted. Flew over closed airport.