Narrative:

While the passenger were boarding I made a quick review of the dispatch release and the WX, concentrating on en route and destination WX. During the review of the WX package, which is very extensive, I overlooked the NOTAM that runways 17 and 35 were closed. We started the engines and taxied out of the gate several mins early. We reported taxiing to runway 17. On the way to the runway I received a clearance from ZMP after telling him we would be using runway 17 and that we were ready to go. My first officer notified the flight attendant to take her seat for departure. At the same time I announced taxiing into position runway 17. My first officer then reported departing runway 17 with a wbound departure. Right after we rotated, the controller asked who departed on runway 17. I told him our flight number and he then told us the runway was closed. Contributing factors: in previous weeks the runway was closed during the day and open all night. Since I operate out of this airport on a daily basis, I was operating under this assumption. The runway was marked with an 'X' on the departure end of runway 17 but not on the approach end which we used. The 'X' on the approach end was in the grass prior to the runway which is not visible to aircraft departing. A local controller was not available until XB00. Usually the controllers open the tower 10-15 mins early voluntarily because of the number of scheduled departures at this time. However, this particular controller will not open the tower until XB00 because this is the start of their pay period. I cannot be positive, but my first officer assures me that the runway closure information was not on ATIS. Corrective action: since this incident, I have placed a large message board in the crew room that displays local NOTAM information. I am also working on putting a monitor in the crew room that displays NOTAM information and is updated by the airport. This is available for our ramp agents, but not our crew members. An 'X' should be placed on the runway which would be visible to departing aircraft since this is a long term closure (3-4 weeks). ATC (center) should advise an aircraft that a runway is closed when the pilot requests a clearance using that runway. The tower should be opened at XA15 am since there are several scheduled departures of commuter aircraft during this time. In the future, I will review NOTAM information much more closely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 TAKES OFF FROM CWA, WI, ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: WHILE THE PAX WERE BOARDING I MADE A QUICK REVIEW OF THE DISPATCH RELEASE AND THE WX, CONCENTRATING ON ENRTE AND DESTINATION WX. DURING THE REVIEW OF THE WX PACKAGE, WHICH IS VERY EXTENSIVE, I OVERLOOKED THE NOTAM THAT RWYS 17 AND 35 WERE CLOSED. WE STARTED THE ENGS AND TAXIED OUT OF THE GATE SEVERAL MINS EARLY. WE RPTED TAXIING TO RWY 17. ON THE WAY TO THE RWY I RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM ZMP AFTER TELLING HIM WE WOULD BE USING RWY 17 AND THAT WE WERE READY TO GO. MY FO NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO TAKE HER SEAT FOR DEP. AT THE SAME TIME I ANNOUNCED TAXIING INTO POS RWY 17. MY FO THEN RPTED DEPARTING RWY 17 WITH A WBOUND DEP. RIGHT AFTER WE ROTATED, THE CTLR ASKED WHO DEPARTED ON RWY 17. I TOLD HIM OUR FLT NUMBER AND HE THEN TOLD US THE RWY WAS CLOSED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IN PREVIOUS WKS THE RWY WAS CLOSED DURING THE DAY AND OPEN ALL NIGHT. SINCE I OPERATE OUT OF THIS ARPT ON A DAILY BASIS, I WAS OPERATING UNDER THIS ASSUMPTION. THE RWY WAS MARKED WITH AN 'X' ON THE DEP END OF RWY 17 BUT NOT ON THE APCH END WHICH WE USED. THE 'X' ON THE APCH END WAS IN THE GRASS PRIOR TO THE RWY WHICH IS NOT VISIBLE TO ACFT DEPARTING. A LCL CTLR WAS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL XB00. USUALLY THE CTLRS OPEN THE TWR 10-15 MINS EARLY VOLUNTARILY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF SCHEDULED DEPS AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THIS PARTICULAR CTLR WILL NOT OPEN THE TWR UNTIL XB00 BECAUSE THIS IS THE START OF THEIR PAY PERIOD. I CANNOT BE POSITIVE, BUT MY FO ASSURES ME THAT THE RWY CLOSURE INFO WAS NOT ON ATIS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: SINCE THIS INCIDENT, I HAVE PLACED A LARGE MESSAGE BOARD IN THE CREW ROOM THAT DISPLAYS LCL NOTAM INFO. I AM ALSO WORKING ON PUTTING A MONITOR IN THE CREW ROOM THAT DISPLAYS NOTAM INFO AND IS UPDATED BY THE ARPT. THIS IS AVAILABLE FOR OUR RAMP AGENTS, BUT NOT OUR CREW MEMBERS. AN 'X' SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE RWY WHICH WOULD BE VISIBLE TO DEPARTING ACFT SINCE THIS IS A LONG TERM CLOSURE (3-4 WKS). ATC (CTR) SHOULD ADVISE AN ACFT THAT A RWY IS CLOSED WHEN THE PLT REQUESTS A CLRNC USING THAT RWY. THE TWR SHOULD BE OPENED AT XA15 AM SINCE THERE ARE SEVERAL SCHEDULED DEPS OF COMMUTER ACFT DURING THIS TIME. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REVIEW NOTAM INFO MUCH MORE CLOSELY.

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.