Narrative:

I landed at banning airport believing it was safe for landing. The flight began at apc napa. I filed a flight plan from my home after a WX briefing the evening before the flight. I called in the morning again to check on WX. This information was from ZOA. The flight plan gave my intentions of apc to brown field (san diego) sdm with a fuel stop at fos or banning (bng). There was no comment about work in progress from the WX or flight plan filing at this time. I filed for flight following and used controled flight until banning was in sight and closed with riverside center and said I was landing at banning for fuel. I had begun to use my 4TH hour of fuel. I had a tailwind and could extend to banning rather than stopping at fox I called banning unicom (no answer). I have found that most small fields do not always answer unicom because of outside working -- usually fueling aircraft (one man operations). Therefore I was not surprised to also not receive an answer when I reported 45 degrees and also downwind as well as base and final. There was a sweeper truck cleaning the taxiway and at the end of the field in the grass at the end of the threshold were 3 XXX and I assumed they were working on the threshold, sweeping and wanted us to land 'long.' I could see there were trucks at the far end of the field as I taxied toward the center of the field. When I land and see a clear well marked field I do not pay attention to the far end of a 3000+ ft strip. There were no XXX markings on the strip itself only in the grass at the end. After they (the field attendant) talked with the contractor it was decided I could leave after having lunch and refueling which I had to have. Most of the problem was with the local city policeman who was quite upset about the incident. The field attendant later told me the hand held transceiver was down because of no batteries. It could have been all prevented if he had been in his office or had batteries in his unicom transceiver. I also learned several lessons from the incident -- call ahead for field information before going on a long trip (long for me anyway). I did call brown field, and made arrangements for tie-downs and fuel but not my gas stops. I will also be more careful of XXX on or near a strip -- overfly and see better as to what they were intended to mean. NOTAMS are hard to come by at most fields and I will make an effort to find out where they can be found. They did not have NOTAMS at brown field, nor have I seen them at napa and bellingham, my most frequent destinations. I will have to use my computer and get a modem to receive this information. I will be flying to phoenix soon and will check these items before departing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT LANDS AT CLOSED ARPT. INFLT PLANNING NO NOTAM WAS GIVEN NOR REQUESTED.

Narrative: I LANDED AT BANNING ARPT BELIEVING IT WAS SAFE FOR LNDG. THE FLT BEGAN AT APC NAPA. I FILED A FLT PLAN FROM MY HOME AFTER A WX BRIEFING THE EVENING BEFORE THE FLT. I CALLED IN THE MORNING AGAIN TO CHK ON WX. THIS INFO WAS FROM ZOA. THE FLT PLAN GAVE MY INTENTIONS OF APC TO BROWN FIELD (SAN DIEGO) SDM WITH A FUEL STOP AT FOS OR BANNING (BNG). THERE WAS NO COMMENT ABOUT WORK IN PROGRESS FROM THE WX OR FLT PLAN FILING AT THIS TIME. I FILED FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND USED CTLED FLT UNTIL BANNING WAS IN SIGHT AND CLOSED WITH RIVERSIDE CTR AND SAID I WAS LNDG AT BANNING FOR FUEL. I HAD BEGUN TO USE MY 4TH HR OF FUEL. I HAD A TAILWIND AND COULD EXTEND TO BANNING RATHER THAN STOPPING AT FOX I CALLED BANNING UNICOM (NO ANSWER). I HAVE FOUND THAT MOST SMALL FIELDS DO NOT ALWAYS ANSWER UNICOM BECAUSE OF OUTSIDE WORKING -- USUALLY FUELING ACFT (ONE MAN OPS). THEREFORE I WAS NOT SURPRISED TO ALSO NOT RECEIVE AN ANSWER WHEN I RPTED 45 DEGS AND ALSO DOWNWIND AS WELL AS BASE AND FINAL. THERE WAS A SWEEPER TRUCK CLEANING THE TXWY AND AT THE END OF THE FIELD IN THE GRASS AT THE END OF THE THRESHOLD WERE 3 XXX AND I ASSUMED THEY WERE WORKING ON THE THRESHOLD, SWEEPING AND WANTED US TO LAND 'LONG.' I COULD SEE THERE WERE TRUCKS AT THE FAR END OF THE FIELD AS I TAXIED TOWARD THE CTR OF THE FIELD. WHEN I LAND AND SEE A CLR WELL MARKED FIELD I DO NOT PAY ATTN TO THE FAR END OF A 3000+ FT STRIP. THERE WERE NO XXX MARKINGS ON THE STRIP ITSELF ONLY IN THE GRASS AT THE END. AFTER THEY (THE FIELD ATTENDANT) TALKED WITH THE CONTRACTOR IT WAS DECIDED I COULD LEAVE AFTER HAVING LUNCH AND REFUELING WHICH I HAD TO HAVE. MOST OF THE PROB WAS WITH THE LCL CITY POLICEMAN WHO WAS QUITE UPSET ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THE FIELD ATTENDANT LATER TOLD ME THE HAND HELD TRANSCEIVER WAS DOWN BECAUSE OF NO BATTERIES. IT COULD HAVE BEEN ALL PREVENTED IF HE HAD BEEN IN HIS OFFICE OR HAD BATTERIES IN HIS UNICOM TRANSCEIVER. I ALSO LEARNED SEVERAL LESSONS FROM THE INCIDENT -- CALL AHEAD FOR FIELD INFO BEFORE GOING ON A LONG TRIP (LONG FOR ME ANYWAY). I DID CALL BROWN FIELD, AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR TIE-DOWNS AND FUEL BUT NOT MY GAS STOPS. I WILL ALSO BE MORE CAREFUL OF XXX ON OR NEAR A STRIP -- OVERFLY AND SEE BETTER AS TO WHAT THEY WERE INTENDED TO MEAN. NOTAMS ARE HARD TO COME BY AT MOST FIELDS AND I WILL MAKE AN EFFORT TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY CAN BE FOUND. THEY DID NOT HAVE NOTAMS AT BROWN FIELD, NOR HAVE I SEEN THEM AT NAPA AND BELLINGHAM, MY MOST FREQUENT DESTS. I WILL HAVE TO USE MY COMPUTER AND GET A MODEM TO RECEIVE THIS INFO. I WILL BE FLYING TO PHOENIX SOON AND WILL CHK THESE ITEMS BEFORE DEPARTING.

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.