Narrative:

I was flying over phillipsburg, PA, at 7000 ft on an IFR flight plan from rdu to roc. The WX at roc was MVFR and forecast to deteriorate. I was concerned that I might finish my flight with an insufficient fuel reserve. I therefore resolved to make a precautionary landing at phillipsburg to rest, refuel and get a detailed update to my WX brief. I selected phillipsburg because it was the nearest airport with an IFR approach and elmira, the next sizeable airport on my route, was too far away and had worse WX than phillipsburg. On receiving my request, ZNY immediately cleared me for a VFR approach to phillipsburg. I was unable to locate the airport and requested and received vectors to the ILS approach to runway 6. The approach was bumpy but I could see the approach lights from 4000 ft. I could not make out the runway lights, and assumed they must be dim and the pilot controled lighting inoperative. I was unable to increase their brightness using pilot controled lighting but the pilot controled lighting, of course, did affect the approach lights. I could see the plowed runway clearly in contrast to the snow-covered airfield, and the landing on runway 6 was straightforward. I then discovered that, although the runway had been plowed, the turnoff to the taxiway had not, and I had no way to exit the runway. I was unable to contact ZNY by radio from the airfield and decided to walk to the FBO and contact flight services from there by telephone. Before calling, I hoped to have resolved the problem of moving my airplane from the runway. I discovered the FBO was unattended and locked. Furthermore, the public telephone outside it was frozen and not working. I then returned to my airplane, contacted altoona FSS by radio and informed them of my position. The state police were called, a snow plow summoned and I was able to resume my flight the following morning when I flew the dozen or so mi to university park, refueled, and completed my flight to roc. I realize that my flight planning was inadequate. If I had anticipated the higher than forecast winds and idented phillipsburg as a possible alternative landing site, flight services would have told me it was closed by NOTAM and I could have found a suitable alternative. I must admit, however, to being somewhat surprised that ZNY did not advise me of the status of the airfield. While I now fully appreciate it is not their responsibility to do so, it was unexpected that ATC would clear me twice to the approach of a closed airfield.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA23E PLT LANDED AT A CLOSED ARPT AND IS CURIOUS AS TO WHY THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR WOULD ALLOW HIM TO DO SO.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING OVER PHILLIPSBURG, PA, AT 7000 FT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM RDU TO ROC. THE WX AT ROC WAS MVFR AND FORECAST TO DETERIORATE. I WAS CONCERNED THAT I MIGHT FINISH MY FLT WITH AN INSUFFICIENT FUEL RESERVE. I THEREFORE RESOLVED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT PHILLIPSBURG TO REST, REFUEL AND GET A DETAILED UPDATE TO MY WX BRIEF. I SELECTED PHILLIPSBURG BECAUSE IT WAS THE NEAREST ARPT WITH AN IFR APCH AND ELMIRA, THE NEXT SIZEABLE ARPT ON MY RTE, WAS TOO FAR AWAY AND HAD WORSE WX THAN PHILLIPSBURG. ON RECEIVING MY REQUEST, ZNY IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME FOR A VFR APCH TO PHILLIPSBURG. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE ARPT AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE ILS APCH TO RWY 6. THE APCH WAS BUMPY BUT I COULD SEE THE APCH LIGHTS FROM 4000 FT. I COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE RWY LIGHTS, AND ASSUMED THEY MUST BE DIM AND THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING INOP. I WAS UNABLE TO INCREASE THEIR BRIGHTNESS USING PLT CTLED LIGHTING BUT THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING, OF COURSE, DID AFFECT THE APCH LIGHTS. I COULD SEE THE PLOWED RWY CLRLY IN CONTRAST TO THE SNOW-COVERED AIRFIELD, AND THE LNDG ON RWY 6 WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT, ALTHOUGH THE RWY HAD BEEN PLOWED, THE TURNOFF TO THE TXWY HAD NOT, AND I HAD NO WAY TO EXIT THE RWY. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ZNY BY RADIO FROM THE AIRFIELD AND DECIDED TO WALK TO THE FBO AND CONTACT FLT SVCS FROM THERE BY TELEPHONE. BEFORE CALLING, I HOPED TO HAVE RESOLVED THE PROB OF MOVING MY AIRPLANE FROM THE RWY. I DISCOVERED THE FBO WAS UNATTENDED AND LOCKED. FURTHERMORE, THE PUBLIC TELEPHONE OUTSIDE IT WAS FROZEN AND NOT WORKING. I THEN RETURNED TO MY AIRPLANE, CONTACTED ALTOONA FSS BY RADIO AND INFORMED THEM OF MY POS. THE STATE POLICE WERE CALLED, A SNOW PLOW SUMMONED AND I WAS ABLE TO RESUME MY FLT THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHEN I FLEW THE DOZEN OR SO MI TO UNIVERSITY PARK, REFUELED, AND COMPLETED MY FLT TO ROC. I REALIZE THAT MY FLT PLANNING WAS INADEQUATE. IF I HAD ANTICIPATED THE HIGHER THAN FORECAST WINDS AND IDENTED PHILLIPSBURG AS A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE LNDG SITE, FLT SVCS WOULD HAVE TOLD ME IT WAS CLOSED BY NOTAM AND I COULD HAVE FOUND A SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE. I MUST ADMIT, HOWEVER, TO BEING SOMEWHAT SURPRISED THAT ZNY DID NOT ADVISE ME OF THE STATUS OF THE AIRFIELD. WHILE I NOW FULLY APPRECIATE IT IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO, IT WAS UNEXPECTED THAT ATC WOULD CLR ME TWICE TO THE APCH OF A CLOSED AIRFIELD.

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.