Narrative:

Had a trip to auburn, al (auo). Got a WX briefing from duats including fdc NOTAMS and NOTAM D's. Only NOTAM given was VOR DME portion of approach not authorized. Since I wasn't flying an aircraft so equipped, I wasn't concerned. My copilot also received a WX briefing via duats. He received the same information on duats about NOTAMS. You can imagine my surprise when I called downwind for runway 36 only to be told by unicom that runway 36 was closed. We saw the construction area south of the runway. Other than being embarrassed, things went fine as it was day, VMC with great visibility. Even without the information from unicom we could have figured things out. We checked published NOTAMS and found nothing. Even when we departed, we received a WX brief from local FSS and received no NOTAMS on this. The airport, of course, had posted the runway closure and the lack of all approachs. In light of the aspen crash, and the question surrounding NOTAM dissemination, I find this disturbing! What if we had been IMC -- would approach have cleared us for an approach to a closed runway? Even more disturbing is the same thing (lack of NOTAM dissemination) is true with regard to bowman field in louisville. I am going through for derby and checked -- no published NOTAMS, no fdc NOTAMS, and only NOTAM 'D' is 1 runway closure. I found out accidentally from a friend who is a local (bowman) pilot. Needless to say, with no authority/authorized approachs, I will be going to juy for the derby. Heads up -- just because you're not told doesn't mean there are no closures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER CAREFULLY CHKING NOTAMS PRIOR TO FLT TO AUO, A CPR CREW ON IFR APCH WERE SURPRISED TO FIND THE RWY 18-36 CLOSED AT THE CTAF ARPT.

Narrative: HAD A TRIP TO AUBURN, AL (AUO). GOT A WX BRIEFING FROM DUATS INCLUDING FDC NOTAMS AND NOTAM D'S. ONLY NOTAM GIVEN WAS VOR DME PORTION OF APCH NOT AUTHORIZED. SINCE I WASN'T FLYING AN ACFT SO EQUIPPED, I WASN'T CONCERNED. MY COPLT ALSO RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING VIA DUATS. HE RECEIVED THE SAME INFO ON DUATS ABOUT NOTAMS. YOU CAN IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I CALLED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36 ONLY TO BE TOLD BY UNICOM THAT RWY 36 WAS CLOSED. WE SAW THE CONSTRUCTION AREA S OF THE RWY. OTHER THAN BEING EMBARRASSED, THINGS WENT FINE AS IT WAS DAY, VMC WITH GREAT VISIBILITY. EVEN WITHOUT THE INFO FROM UNICOM WE COULD HAVE FIGURED THINGS OUT. WE CHKED PUBLISHED NOTAMS AND FOUND NOTHING. EVEN WHEN WE DEPARTED, WE RECEIVED A WX BRIEF FROM LCL FSS AND RECEIVED NO NOTAMS ON THIS. THE ARPT, OF COURSE, HAD POSTED THE RWY CLOSURE AND THE LACK OF ALL APCHS. IN LIGHT OF THE ASPEN CRASH, AND THE QUESTION SURROUNDING NOTAM DISSEMINATION, I FIND THIS DISTURBING! WHAT IF WE HAD BEEN IMC -- WOULD APCH HAVE CLRED US FOR AN APCH TO A CLOSED RWY? EVEN MORE DISTURBING IS THE SAME THING (LACK OF NOTAM DISSEMINATION) IS TRUE WITH REGARD TO BOWMAN FIELD IN LOUISVILLE. I AM GOING THROUGH FOR DERBY AND CHKED -- NO PUBLISHED NOTAMS, NO FDC NOTAMS, AND ONLY NOTAM 'D' IS 1 RWY CLOSURE. I FOUND OUT ACCIDENTALLY FROM A FRIEND WHO IS A LCL (BOWMAN) PLT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WITH NO AUTH APCHS, I WILL BE GOING TO JUY FOR THE DERBY. HEADS UP -- JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT TOLD DOESN'T MEAN THERE ARE NO CLOSURES.

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.