Narrative:

I canceled my IFR about 5 mi east of iow. After leaving cedar rapids approach, I called unicom for an airport advisory and received no response. The ASOS was reporting winds 190 degrees at 5 KTS. I elected to land on runway 17. I entered a downwind on about a 45 degree angle. I reported on unicom my downwind, base, and final. On final for runway 17 I noticed nothing unusual about the runway, no 'X' was visible from the air. Just before touchdown as I flew over the numbers I noticed a small 'X' between the numbers. At first it looked like debris, then I realized the runway was closed. This was about the time I touched down. The runway was clear with no construction on it. The runway was closed for construction of a drainage system near the approach end of runway 35. After taxiing in and going into the terminal, the airport manager met me at the door wanting my certificate number and name to turn me into the local FSDO. I apologized to him and told him the X's on the runway were not visible from the air. He would not listen and told me I should have checked the NOTAMS. I told him I received my briefing over duats and the NOTAM was not posted there. I asked him why the closure was not posted on the ASOS and his reply was he does not put NOTAMS on the ASOS. After departing iow I made a circle over the airport and verified that the X's over the numbers could not be seen from the air. The X's were made from construction fencing with square holes in it. You could see right through the holes. I think the markings to close a runway should be of a standard size and color, not just any scrap that can be found. In retrospect a go around would have been the proper procedure, but it was just a split-second from the time I realized the runway was closed and I touched down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT LANDS ON CLOSED RWY AT IOW DUE TO POOR 'CLOSED RWY' MARKINGS.

Narrative: I CANCELED MY IFR ABOUT 5 MI E OF IOW. AFTER LEAVING CEDAR RAPIDS APCH, I CALLED UNICOM FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THE ASOS WAS RPTING WINDS 190 DEGS AT 5 KTS. I ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 17. I ENTERED A DOWNWIND ON ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE. I RPTED ON UNICOM MY DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL. ON FINAL FOR RWY 17 I NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE RWY, NO 'X' WAS VISIBLE FROM THE AIR. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN AS I FLEW OVER THE NUMBERS I NOTICED A SMALL 'X' BTWN THE NUMBERS. AT FIRST IT LOOKED LIKE DEBRIS, THEN I REALIZED THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THIS WAS ABOUT THE TIME I TOUCHED DOWN. THE RWY WAS CLR WITH NO CONSTRUCTION ON IT. THE RWY WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A DRAINAGE SYS NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 35. AFTER TAXIING IN AND GOING INTO THE TERMINAL, THE ARPT MGR MET ME AT THE DOOR WANTING MY CERTIFICATE NUMBER AND NAME TO TURN ME INTO THE LCL FSDO. I APOLOGIZED TO HIM AND TOLD HIM THE X'S ON THE RWY WERE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE AIR. HE WOULD NOT LISTEN AND TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE NOTAMS. I TOLD HIM I RECEIVED MY BRIEFING OVER DUATS AND THE NOTAM WAS NOT POSTED THERE. I ASKED HIM WHY THE CLOSURE WAS NOT POSTED ON THE ASOS AND HIS REPLY WAS HE DOES NOT PUT NOTAMS ON THE ASOS. AFTER DEPARTING IOW I MADE A CIRCLE OVER THE ARPT AND VERIFIED THAT THE X'S OVER THE NUMBERS COULD NOT BE SEEN FROM THE AIR. THE X'S WERE MADE FROM CONSTRUCTION FENCING WITH SQUARE HOLES IN IT. YOU COULD SEE RIGHT THROUGH THE HOLES. I THINK THE MARKINGS TO CLOSE A RWY SHOULD BE OF A STANDARD SIZE AND COLOR, NOT JUST ANY SCRAP THAT CAN BE FOUND. IN RETROSPECT A GAR WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PROPER PROC, BUT IT WAS JUST A SPLIT-SECOND FROM THE TIME I REALIZED THE RWY WAS CLOSED AND I TOUCHED DOWN.

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.