Narrative:

Flight: there were 2 passenger aboard a law enforcement flight from richfield to salt lake city, ut, in a cessna TR-182 skylane. Pilot was briefed on all WX conditions encountered except when frontal passage was to occur at salt lake city. Conditions: there were strong south winds 30-35 KTS, an approaching cold front from the northwest, slc ATIS reported 30 KTS gusting to 39 KTS at 340 degrees (peak gust 58 KTS), rain and thunderstorms reported in salt lake city (frontal passage). Visibility diminishing with rain and dust. What happened: I was 40 mins into a 1 hour flight from richfield to slc. I had been pushed by a 30-35 KT south wind. Typical of an approaching storm (as forecast). ATIS reported slc conditions were: winds 30 KTS gusting to 39 KTS, rain and thunderstorms, hazardous WX available from FSS. The peak gust was later reported at 58 KTS. As I proceeded to provo airport (as an option) the front was going across the airport. Several pilots were discussing options including diverting to another airport. Turbulence was moderate to severe. I slowed to maneuver speed and penetrated the front. Then I proceeded toward salt lake. At an area called 'point of the mountain,' the turbulence became dangerous and skirting the higher terrain also became blocked with frequent lightning. I returned to provo airport. Current options: 1) land at provo, the active runway 36 presented a dangerous crosswind (wind 300 degrees at 30 KTS plus wind shear probable), runway 31 closed (no obstructions or obstacles). 2) land at spanish fork airport 10 mi south, front was passing over it at this time (no good). 3) land at heber airport, 30 mi east. This was no good due to a high narrow canyon which would surely have had extreme turbulence. 4) remain airborne while conditions changed. This was no good because IFR conditions (rain, etc) were foreseen. Course of action: after discussing with unicom the condition of the closed runway (runway 31), and carefully considering the server wind condition and studying the condition of the closed runway, I considered the safest landing would be to land on the closed runway. The landing was made with a very short rollout and good visibility of any possible dangers of the closed runway. No other aircraft were near provo airport. This pilot became the recipient of a lively oration by one incensed airport manager. The runway was closed due to a little construction of the departure end of runway 31. Conclusion: I need to further study and evaluate to 2 conflicting factors, and they are: 1) safety, in light of rapidly diminishing options, or 2) landing on a closed runway. Perhaps I should have declared an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 SKYLANE ACFT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PAX ENCOUNTERED WX WHICH HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED OR EXPECTED RESULTING IN RPTR PLT TRYING TO FIND A SUITABLE ARPT TO LAND. PVW WAS THE BEST OPTION AND RPTR LANDED ON CLOSED RWY. ARPT MGR WAS INCENSED.

Narrative: FLT: THERE WERE 2 PAX ABOARD A LAW ENFORCEMENT FLT FROM RICHFIELD TO SALT LAKE CITY, UT, IN A CESSNA TR-182 SKYLANE. PLT WAS BRIEFED ON ALL WX CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED EXCEPT WHEN FRONTAL PASSAGE WAS TO OCCUR AT SALT LAKE CITY. CONDITIONS: THERE WERE STRONG S WINDS 30-35 KTS, AN APCHING COLD FRONT FROM THE NW, SLC ATIS RPTED 30 KTS GUSTING TO 39 KTS AT 340 DEGS (PEAK GUST 58 KTS), RAIN AND TSTMS RPTED IN SALT LAKE CITY (FRONTAL PASSAGE). VISIBILITY DIMINISHING WITH RAIN AND DUST. WHAT HAPPENED: I WAS 40 MINS INTO A 1 HR FLT FROM RICHFIELD TO SLC. I HAD BEEN PUSHED BY A 30-35 KT S WIND. TYPICAL OF AN APCHING STORM (AS FORECAST). ATIS RPTED SLC CONDITIONS WERE: WINDS 30 KTS GUSTING TO 39 KTS, RAIN AND TSTMS, HAZARDOUS WX AVAILABLE FROM FSS. THE PEAK GUST WAS LATER RPTED AT 58 KTS. AS I PROCEEDED TO PROVO ARPT (AS AN OPTION) THE FRONT WAS GOING ACROSS THE ARPT. SEVERAL PLTS WERE DISCUSSING OPTIONS INCLUDING DIVERTING TO ANOTHER ARPT. TURB WAS MODERATE TO SEVERE. I SLOWED TO MANEUVER SPD AND PENETRATED THE FRONT. THEN I PROCEEDED TOWARD SALT LAKE. AT AN AREA CALLED 'POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN,' THE TURB BECAME DANGEROUS AND SKIRTING THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALSO BECAME BLOCKED WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING. I RETURNED TO PROVO ARPT. CURRENT OPTIONS: 1) LAND AT PROVO, THE ACTIVE RWY 36 PRESENTED A DANGEROUS XWIND (WIND 300 DEGS AT 30 KTS PLUS WIND SHEAR PROBABLE), RWY 31 CLOSED (NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR OBSTACLES). 2) LAND AT SPANISH FORK ARPT 10 MI S, FRONT WAS PASSING OVER IT AT THIS TIME (NO GOOD). 3) LAND AT HEBER ARPT, 30 MI E. THIS WAS NO GOOD DUE TO A HIGH NARROW CANYON WHICH WOULD SURELY HAVE HAD EXTREME TURB. 4) REMAIN AIRBORNE WHILE CONDITIONS CHANGED. THIS WAS NO GOOD BECAUSE IFR CONDITIONS (RAIN, ETC) WERE FORESEEN. COURSE OF ACTION: AFTER DISCUSSING WITH UNICOM THE CONDITION OF THE CLOSED RWY (RWY 31), AND CAREFULLY CONSIDERING THE SERVER WIND CONDITION AND STUDYING THE CONDITION OF THE CLOSED RWY, I CONSIDERED THE SAFEST LNDG WOULD BE TO LAND ON THE CLOSED RWY. THE LNDG WAS MADE WITH A VERY SHORT ROLLOUT AND GOOD VISIBILITY OF ANY POSSIBLE DANGERS OF THE CLOSED RWY. NO OTHER ACFT WERE NEAR PROVO ARPT. THIS PLT BECAME THE RECIPIENT OF A LIVELY ORATION BY ONE INCENSED ARPT MGR. THE RWY WAS CLOSED DUE TO A LITTLE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DEP END OF RWY 31. CONCLUSION: I NEED TO FURTHER STUDY AND EVALUATE TO 2 CONFLICTING FACTORS, AND THEY ARE: 1) SAFETY, IN LIGHT OF RAPIDLY DIMINISHING OPTIONS, OR 2) LNDG ON A CLOSED RWY. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER.

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.