Narrative:

I fly daily, normally operating in VMC. I routinely check WX prior to departure, either utilizing duats or contacting a FSS briefer, and request surface analysis, forecasts, NOTAMS, and chart depictions for the day and area of operations. This date, it was through duats and forecast indicated a clear, unrestr visibility, light winds day for my entire area of operations. Only 1 NOTAM was listed, for an unmonitored ILS approach at pir. I made my approach approximately 4 1/2 hours later. I had tuned in the CTAF and announced my intentions to land at approximately 10 mi out. There was no radio traffic and I observed no aircraft operating in the vicinity of the airport. I announced entering a left downwind and while in the pattern, observed the surface conditions of the runway. There appeared to be no conflicting outbound traffic, so I continued, turning base, final, and touching down near the approach end of the runway. While rolling out, I observed the very top (cabin attendant) of a vehicle which had a light on it at the far end of the same runway, but due to the variation in terrain, and as I turned off the runway within the first quarter, I could not identify as to whether the ground vehicle was actually on the runway or off. I hangared my aircraft, and checked NOTAMS on duats and discovered that a closed 'indefinitely,' was listed for the runway. I queried other pilots and they indicated it had been apparently listed 'closed' suddenly to (perhaps) take advantage of unseasonably warm WX to work on the runway. One indicated that he only knew about it by overhearing center commenting about it to another aircraft inbound. Although I was positive I had not landed on or near any 'X' closure indicator, I went to the end of the runway and verified that there were no closures (X's). Pir recently lost its on-field FSS, which is perhaps why the runway workers were so used to closing the runway on short notice. I attempted to contact the workers, but the doors to their facility were locked, as they apparently departed the area at XA00 hours. At any rate a cpr jet aircraft landed on the same runway shortly after XA00 hours, so I don't know how quickly the NOTAM was lifted either. I attempt to operate as safely and conscientiously as possible -- both in the air and on the ground. From now on, I guess it will be necessary to include a contact with the nearest FSS while inbound, to identify changes in airport conditions that were not indicated in a preflight brief, and are not readily identifiable to aircraft operating VFR and not in contact with center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: I FLY DAILY, NORMALLY OPERATING IN VMC. I ROUTINELY CHK WX PRIOR TO DEP, EITHER UTILIZING DUATS OR CONTACTING A FSS BRIEFER, AND REQUEST SURFACE ANALYSIS, FORECASTS, NOTAMS, AND CHART DEPICTIONS FOR THE DAY AND AREA OF OPS. THIS DATE, IT WAS THROUGH DUATS AND FORECAST INDICATED A CLR, UNRESTR VISIBILITY, LIGHT WINDS DAY FOR MY ENTIRE AREA OF OPS. ONLY 1 NOTAM WAS LISTED, FOR AN UNMONITORED ILS APCH AT PIR. I MADE MY APCH APPROX 4 1/2 HRS LATER. I HAD TUNED IN THE CTAF AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND AT APPROX 10 MI OUT. THERE WAS NO RADIO TFC AND I OBSERVED NO ACFT OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT. I ANNOUNCED ENTERING A L DOWNWIND AND WHILE IN THE PATTERN, OBSERVED THE SURFACE CONDITIONS OF THE RWY. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO CONFLICTING OUTBOUND TFC, SO I CONTINUED, TURNING BASE, FINAL, AND TOUCHING DOWN NEAR THE APCH END OF THE RWY. WHILE ROLLING OUT, I OBSERVED THE VERY TOP (CAB) OF A VEHICLE WHICH HAD A LIGHT ON IT AT THE FAR END OF THE SAME RWY, BUT DUE TO THE VARIATION IN TERRAIN, AND AS I TURNED OFF THE RWY WITHIN THE FIRST QUARTER, I COULD NOT IDENT AS TO WHETHER THE GND VEHICLE WAS ACTUALLY ON THE RWY OR OFF. I HANGARED MY ACFT, AND CHKED NOTAMS ON DUATS AND DISCOVERED THAT A CLOSED 'INDEFINITELY,' WAS LISTED FOR THE RWY. I QUERIED OTHER PLTS AND THEY INDICATED IT HAD BEEN APPARENTLY LISTED 'CLOSED' SUDDENLY TO (PERHAPS) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF UNSEASONABLY WARM WX TO WORK ON THE RWY. ONE INDICATED THAT HE ONLY KNEW ABOUT IT BY OVERHEARING CTR COMMENTING ABOUT IT TO ANOTHER ACFT INBOUND. ALTHOUGH I WAS POSITIVE I HAD NOT LANDED ON OR NEAR ANY 'X' CLOSURE INDICATOR, I WENT TO THE END OF THE RWY AND VERIFIED THAT THERE WERE NO CLOSURES (X'S). PIR RECENTLY LOST ITS ON-FIELD FSS, WHICH IS PERHAPS WHY THE RWY WORKERS WERE SO USED TO CLOSING THE RWY ON SHORT NOTICE. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE WORKERS, BUT THE DOORS TO THEIR FACILITY WERE LOCKED, AS THEY APPARENTLY DEPARTED THE AREA AT XA00 HRS. AT ANY RATE A CPR JET ACFT LANDED ON THE SAME RWY SHORTLY AFTER XA00 HRS, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY THE NOTAM WAS LIFTED EITHER. I ATTEMPT TO OPERATE AS SAFELY AND CONSCIENTIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE -- BOTH IN THE AIR AND ON THE GND. FROM NOW ON, I GUESS IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO INCLUDE A CONTACT WITH THE NEAREST FSS WHILE INBOUND, TO IDENT CHANGES IN ARPT CONDITIONS THAT WERE NOT INDICATED IN A PREFLT BRIEF, AND ARE NOT READILY IDENTIFIABLE TO ACFT OPERATING VFR AND NOT IN CONTACT WITH CTR.

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.