Narrative:

During a private pilot flight test, the applicant noticed increasing oil temperature which he believed to be unusual. He elected to make a precautionary landing at the auburn-dekalb airport to investigate. The landing at this airport was unexpected, although the applicant was familiar with the field, and had it in sight within easy gliding distance. The landing was uneventful. As the examiner conducting the test, I knew that the field was to close briefly for launching balloons. I felt sure that we would be on the ground before the closing time. However, the applicant did not know the situation, since he had no previous plan to use this airport. As the airplane was stopped on a taxiway, ground service people came out in a jeep to tell us the field was closing. They did say they thought we made it in time. After determining the aircraft was in fact all right, we waited until the field was announced open, then took off. During our descent, the applicant correctly requested airport advisory and announced his position. There was no response. I investigated after landing, and found that all the ground personnel were using portable radios which were programmed with single digit frequencys -- for instance, 'channel 1,2,3,' etc. After trying one, a line person found that the unicom advisories about closing the field had been given on a wrong frequency, and nobody was operating the usual radio in the airport office. As a result, the pilot in a possible emergency had no success in getting airport information which was available. In addition, no markings were present on the runway surface to indicate that it was closed, and the balloons to be launched were all lying flat on the ground prior to inflation, so they were not visible to the pilot doing an approach from the other end of the field. I suggest that pilots study NOTAMS for all nearby airports, even unlikely alternates, to be aware of unusual sits, in case an emergency occurs. In addition, if portable radios are used -- especially multiple ones, they must be programmed to use the correct frequency if it is intended that they substitute for a unicom. Even for an experienced pilot, a precautionary landing can be stressful. I admit that during the descent and landing, I did not check the time to see if the airport was already closed. I just made sure we landed well clear of the other activity. In fact, linemen told us that a supervisor on the field had not seen us land, and they were only worried about us causing a hazard by taking off too soon. It would also be helpful if runway X's were used, even for short-term closing of the airport. If it is used unexpectedly, as in this situation, at least the pilot would have a visual indication not to land. When I asked ground personnel, they were unsure of the times for opening and closing of the airport. Even short-time closing at an airport should have ground markings on runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA38 CPR ACFT INFLT FOR PLT CHK MADE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG DUE TO INCREASING OIL TEMP. THE ARPT WAS NOTAMED TO BE CLOSED CERTAIN HRS AND PLT LANDED PRIOR TO CLOSURE, BUT HAD COM PROB WITH UNICOM.

Narrative: DURING A PVT PLT FLT TEST, THE APPLICANT NOTICED INCREASING OIL TEMP WHICH HE BELIEVED TO BE UNUSUAL. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT THE AUBURN-DEKALB ARPT TO INVESTIGATE. THE LNDG AT THIS ARPT WAS UNEXPECTED, ALTHOUGH THE APPLICANT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD, AND HAD IT IN SIGHT WITHIN EASY GLIDING DISTANCE. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AS THE EXAMINER CONDUCTING THE TEST, I KNEW THAT THE FIELD WAS TO CLOSE BRIEFLY FOR LAUNCHING BALLOONS. I FELT SURE THAT WE WOULD BE ON THE GND BEFORE THE CLOSING TIME. HOWEVER, THE APPLICANT DID NOT KNOW THE SIT, SINCE HE HAD NO PREVIOUS PLAN TO USE THIS ARPT. AS THE AIRPLANE WAS STOPPED ON A TXWY, GND SVC PEOPLE CAME OUT IN A JEEP TO TELL US THE FIELD WAS CLOSING. THEY DID SAY THEY THOUGHT WE MADE IT IN TIME. AFTER DETERMINING THE ACFT WAS IN FACT ALL RIGHT, WE WAITED UNTIL THE FIELD WAS ANNOUNCED OPEN, THEN TOOK OFF. DURING OUR DSCNT, THE APPLICANT CORRECTLY REQUESTED ARPT ADVISORY AND ANNOUNCED HIS POS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I INVESTIGATED AFTER LNDG, AND FOUND THAT ALL THE GND PERSONNEL WERE USING PORTABLE RADIOS WHICH WERE PROGRAMMED WITH SINGLE DIGIT FREQS -- FOR INSTANCE, 'CHANNEL 1,2,3,' ETC. AFTER TRYING ONE, A LINE PERSON FOUND THAT THE UNICOM ADVISORIES ABOUT CLOSING THE FIELD HAD BEEN GIVEN ON A WRONG FREQ, AND NOBODY WAS OPERATING THE USUAL RADIO IN THE ARPT OFFICE. AS A RESULT, THE PLT IN A POSSIBLE EMER HAD NO SUCCESS IN GETTING ARPT INFO WHICH WAS AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, NO MARKINGS WERE PRESENT ON THE RWY SURFACE TO INDICATE THAT IT WAS CLOSED, AND THE BALLOONS TO BE LAUNCHED WERE ALL LYING FLAT ON THE GND PRIOR TO INFLATION, SO THEY WERE NOT VISIBLE TO THE PLT DOING AN APCH FROM THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD. I SUGGEST THAT PLTS STUDY NOTAMS FOR ALL NEARBY ARPTS, EVEN UNLIKELY ALTERNATES, TO BE AWARE OF UNUSUAL SITS, IN CASE AN EMER OCCURS. IN ADDITION, IF PORTABLE RADIOS ARE USED -- ESPECIALLY MULTIPLE ONES, THEY MUST BE PROGRAMMED TO USE THE CORRECT FREQ IF IT IS INTENDED THAT THEY SUBSTITUTE FOR A UNICOM. EVEN FOR AN EXPERIENCED PLT, A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG CAN BE STRESSFUL. I ADMIT THAT DURING THE DSCNT AND LNDG, I DID NOT CHK THE TIME TO SEE IF THE ARPT WAS ALREADY CLOSED. I JUST MADE SURE WE LANDED WELL CLR OF THE OTHER ACTIVITY. IN FACT, LINEMEN TOLD US THAT A SUPVR ON THE FIELD HAD NOT SEEN US LAND, AND THEY WERE ONLY WORRIED ABOUT US CAUSING A HAZARD BY TAKING OFF TOO SOON. IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF RWY X'S WERE USED, EVEN FOR SHORT-TERM CLOSING OF THE ARPT. IF IT IS USED UNEXPECTEDLY, AS IN THIS SIT, AT LEAST THE PLT WOULD HAVE A VISUAL INDICATION NOT TO LAND. WHEN I ASKED GND PERSONNEL, THEY WERE UNSURE OF THE TIMES FOR OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE ARPT. EVEN SHORT-TIME CLOSING AT AN ARPT SHOULD HAVE GND MARKINGS ON RWYS.

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.