Narrative:

On apr/xx/98 the flight originated at lansing (igq). I went to pick up some friends at meiggs field. As I left lansing I contacted midway tower for a flight following from lansing to meiggs field. I received a flight following and approximately 8-10 mi south of meiggs, midway advised me to change frequency, radar service terminated, contact meiggs on 121.3. I acknowledged the handoff and the controller advised that meiggs tower may be closed. I switched frequency and attempted to contact meiggs. I was unable to reach the tower. I looked at the sectional and saw that meiggs tower has a CTAF so I made my announcements and tried to key the lights to no avail. Seeing that I don't need lights to land, I proceeded. It was a clear night with a full moon and sitting next to chicago, so I made a high approach with my landing light on. On final at around 400 ft, I had the runway in clear view. My approach was high to bring me about 1/4 the way down the runway. The touchdown was uneventful so I taxied up to the building and shut down the airplane. I didn't see the friends I was picking up, so I looked for a gate, but I couldn't find one. So I hopped a fence to look around the outside. At that point I ran into an officer who advised me that the airport was closed and that I couldn't take back off again. He made a few phone calls to his higher ups. They said that they were going to seize my airplane until XA00, when the tower opened. Through this whole ordeal I had talked to FSS 3 times and no NOTAMS for meiggs being closed. Also, in the airport facilities directory, there was no mention of the airport closing. I believe that first thing that should be done is to make a NOTAM and then to take the CTAF symbol off of the charts. If the airport closes when the tower closes, it has no significant use. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was flying a C172. The aircraft was grounded until the next day. When reporter's brother went to pick up the aircraft and fly it back he was hassled by the security personnel. It seems that a city official had tried the previous summer to have the airport closed. With pressure from AOPA and the FAA the airport management reopened the airport during daylight hours, or hours of tower operation. There was no notice, no NOTAM or any publicly disseminated information regarding this procedure. Because of this event there has now been a NOTAM issued, but no other notification on the charts or new AFD. Airport manager did finally apologize to reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C172 LANDS AT CGX AFTER TWR IS CLOSED. HIS ACFT IS SEIZED AND HE IS NOT ALLOWED TO DEPART AS AUTHS CLAIM THE ARPT IS CLOSED. THERE HAS BEEN NO NOTAM ISSUED AND NEITHER ATC NOR FSS HAS GIVEN SUCH NOTICE.

Narrative: ON APR/XX/98 THE FLT ORIGINATED AT LANSING (IGQ). I WENT TO PICK UP SOME FRIENDS AT MEIGGS FIELD. AS I LEFT LANSING I CONTACTED MIDWAY TWR FOR A FLT FOLLOWING FROM LANSING TO MEIGGS FIELD. I RECEIVED A FLT FOLLOWING AND APPROX 8-10 MI S OF MEIGGS, MIDWAY ADVISED ME TO CHANGE FREQ, RADAR SVC TERMINATED, CONTACT MEIGGS ON 121.3. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE HDOF AND THE CTLR ADVISED THAT MEIGGS TWR MAY BE CLOSED. I SWITCHED FREQ AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MEIGGS. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE TWR. I LOOKED AT THE SECTIONAL AND SAW THAT MEIGGS TWR HAS A CTAF SO I MADE MY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TRIED TO KEY THE LIGHTS TO NO AVAIL. SEEING THAT I DON'T NEED LIGHTS TO LAND, I PROCEEDED. IT WAS A CLR NIGHT WITH A FULL MOON AND SITTING NEXT TO CHICAGO, SO I MADE A HIGH APCH WITH MY LNDG LIGHT ON. ON FINAL AT AROUND 400 FT, I HAD THE RWY IN CLR VIEW. MY APCH WAS HIGH TO BRING ME ABOUT 1/4 THE WAY DOWN THE RWY. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL SO I TAXIED UP TO THE BUILDING AND SHUT DOWN THE AIRPLANE. I DIDN'T SEE THE FRIENDS I WAS PICKING UP, SO I LOOKED FOR A GATE, BUT I COULDN'T FIND ONE. SO I HOPPED A FENCE TO LOOK AROUND THE OUTSIDE. AT THAT POINT I RAN INTO AN OFFICER WHO ADVISED ME THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED AND THAT I COULDN'T TAKE BACK OFF AGAIN. HE MADE A FEW PHONE CALLS TO HIS HIGHER UPS. THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SEIZE MY AIRPLANE UNTIL XA00, WHEN THE TWR OPENED. THROUGH THIS WHOLE ORDEAL I HAD TALKED TO FSS 3 TIMES AND NO NOTAMS FOR MEIGGS BEING CLOSED. ALSO, IN THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY, THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE ARPT CLOSING. I BELIEVE THAT FIRST THING THAT SHOULD BE DONE IS TO MAKE A NOTAM AND THEN TO TAKE THE CTAF SYMBOL OFF OF THE CHARTS. IF THE ARPT CLOSES WHEN THE TWR CLOSES, IT HAS NO SIGNIFICANT USE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS FLYING A C172. THE ACFT WAS GNDED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. WHEN RPTR'S BROTHER WENT TO PICK UP THE ACFT AND FLY IT BACK HE WAS HASSLED BY THE SECURITY PERSONNEL. IT SEEMS THAT A CITY OFFICIAL HAD TRIED THE PREVIOUS SUMMER TO HAVE THE ARPT CLOSED. WITH PRESSURE FROM AOPA AND THE FAA THE ARPT MGMNT REOPENED THE ARPT DURING DAYLIGHT HRS, OR HRS OF TWR OP. THERE WAS NO NOTICE, NO NOTAM OR ANY PUBLICLY DISSEMINATED INFO REGARDING THIS PROC. BECAUSE OF THIS EVENT THERE HAS NOW BEEN A NOTAM ISSUED, BUT NO OTHER NOTIFICATION ON THE CHARTS OR NEW AFD. ARPT MGR DID FINALLY APOLOGIZE TO RPTR.

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.