Narrative:

Due to density, altitude, and knowledge of possible increasing head winds, a safety decision was made to pick up a little extra fuel at chiriaco summit airport on a day VFR flight from blyth, ca, to apple valley, ca, with a fuel stop at thermal. FSS (riverside radio) 122.4 was called for advisories from blythe to chiriaco summit, WX was given and thermal altimeter. PIREPS were asked for and have a good flight. A straight-in from the east was called in on unicom, and upon descent over the east end there was some construction workers and neither of us posed any danger to each other, therefore the landing was completed. Upon taxiing to parking, we noticed a temporary yellow (X) by the taxiway so we parked and proceeded to get fuel. Upon returning to the aircraft we were greeted by a riverside county official taking pictures of the aircraft, writing something down, and informing us of the airport closure, scaring the county workers, and violating FAA airport closure rules. We informed him that upon entry to the airport we did not observe any closure markings and felt no hazard to facility and personnel. We were told that the east end had an 'X' on runway and the airport was closed and we were advised not to depart. We then departed to the east and observed the east end of airport, there was an 'X' partly on the extended end of the threshold and partly the runway and the part of the runway had rock and bricks holding it down due to wind. Upon departure the 'X' disappeared into extended threshold markings (same color, same spacing, same size) as existing markings, clearly making it not visible and a straight-in approach on a GS altitude. Yellow threshold and 'X' markings, 'X' and threshold markings evenly spaced, sized, and colored.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS ON CLOSED RWY AT L77 (CHIRIACO SUMMIT, CA)

Narrative: DUE TO DENSITY, ALT, AND KNOWLEDGE OF POSSIBLE INCREASING HEAD WINDS, A SAFETY DECISION WAS MADE TO PICK UP A LITTLE EXTRA FUEL AT CHIRIACO SUMMIT ARPT ON A DAY VFR FLT FROM BLYTH, CA, TO APPLE VALLEY, CA, WITH A FUEL STOP AT THERMAL. FSS (RIVERSIDE RADIO) 122.4 WAS CALLED FOR ADVISORIES FROM BLYTHE TO CHIRIACO SUMMIT, WX WAS GIVEN AND THERMAL ALTIMETER. PIREPS WERE ASKED FOR AND HAVE A GOOD FLT. A STRAIGHT-IN FROM THE E WAS CALLED IN ON UNICOM, AND UPON DSCNT OVER THE E END THERE WAS SOME CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND NEITHER OF US POSED ANY DANGER TO EACH OTHER, THEREFORE THE LNDG WAS COMPLETED. UPON TAXIING TO PARKING, WE NOTICED A TEMPORARY YELLOW (X) BY THE TXWY SO WE PARKED AND PROCEEDED TO GET FUEL. UPON RETURNING TO THE ACFT WE WERE GREETED BY A RIVERSIDE COUNTY OFFICIAL TAKING PICTURES OF THE ACFT, WRITING SOMETHING DOWN, AND INFORMING US OF THE ARPT CLOSURE, SCARING THE COUNTY WORKERS, AND VIOLATING FAA ARPT CLOSURE RULES. WE INFORMED HIM THAT UPON ENTRY TO THE ARPT WE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY CLOSURE MARKINGS AND FELT NO HAZARD TO FACILITY AND PERSONNEL. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE E END HAD AN 'X' ON RWY AND THE ARPT WAS CLOSED AND WE WERE ADVISED NOT TO DEPART. WE THEN DEPARTED TO THE E AND OBSERVED THE E END OF ARPT, THERE WAS AN 'X' PARTLY ON THE EXTENDED END OF THE THRESHOLD AND PARTLY THE RWY AND THE PART OF THE RWY HAD ROCK AND BRICKS HOLDING IT DOWN DUE TO WIND. UPON DEP THE 'X' DISAPPEARED INTO EXTENDED THRESHOLD MARKINGS (SAME COLOR, SAME SPACING, SAME SIZE) AS EXISTING MARKINGS, CLRLY MAKING IT NOT VISIBLE AND A STRAIGHT-IN APCH ON A GS ALT. YELLOW THRESHOLD AND 'X' MARKINGS, 'X' AND THRESHOLD MARKINGS EVENLY SPACED, SIZED, AND COLORED.

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.