Narrative:

I learned via NOTAM on morning of departure that runways 9/27 and 5/23 were closed at my destination airport (sjx). No mention was given as to the reason why, how long the closure would last, or the status of the remaining grass runway (14/32). I called lansing FSS to see if more information was available. It was not, but the briefer kindly offered to call the airport manager for an explanation, and I said please do. He did, but the airport manager did not answer. I then called the sjc AWOS-3 number to learn wind direction and velocity and any additional pertinent information that might be available (none was). The wind direction did support a landing on runway 32 and all appeared ok for departure, but I had a concern about a possible bump where the grass runway 14/32 crosses the paved runway 9/27. An additional concern was my aircraft insurer and its dislike for policy holders to use unfamiliar grass runways. After sighting beaver island, I called unicom for an airport advisory, but there was no answer. Because repeated calls produced no results, I circled the airport before landing and noted runway 9.27 construction work in progress with large dirt and gravel hauling trucks racing across the terminal parking ramp, txwys, and the active runway 14/32. They did not slow or stop to see whether lndgs or takeoffs were in progress, and they spewed huge clouds of dust. After lng on the very bumpy grass strip (especially where it crossed runway 9/27), I found that runway 9/27 was being widened and lengthened. The following morning I returned to the airport via my rental car to check whether it would be safe to taxi for a runway 14 takeoff by going alongside the runway. (The wind had changed direction.) the taxiway was bumpy, but safe. In the process, I learned that an orange runway closure 'X' had been placed at the intersection of runway 27 and the easternmost taxiway (not being used by the dirt and gravel haulers) and that this 'X' was made via painting pieces of snow fence which were then laid across each other on the ground in a manner that could be damaging to airplanes, especially propellers. The gravel hauling continued with trucks crossing the active runway at frequent intervals without slowing the slightest. About this time the airport manager drove out onto the taxiway and proceeded to chew me out for being there. (A keen lookout for all potential lndgs and takeoffs was being kept.) he was very unpleasant. Subsequently, I called lansing FSS to advise of the unsafe situation at sjx and suggest a NOTAM amplification. The reply was that they would not amplify the given NOTAM. They said that only the airport manager can submit NOTAM material and suggested that I contact him (no way after that chewing out!). Apparently, FSS personnel did not contact him either as no NOTAM changes were made that day or the following day. FSS said they would put out a PIREP, but that would be erased in 1 hour. I believe that when unsafe airport conditions are reported to FSS personnel, it is their responsibility to follow up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 PLT LANDS AT CLOSED ARPT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT QUESTIONS NOTAM RESPONSIBILITIES.

Narrative: I LEARNED VIA NOTAM ON MORNING OF DEP THAT RWYS 9/27 AND 5/23 WERE CLOSED AT MY DEST ARPT (SJX). NO MENTION WAS GIVEN AS TO THE REASON WHY, HOW LONG THE CLOSURE WOULD LAST, OR THE STATUS OF THE REMAINING GRASS RWY (14/32). I CALLED LANSING FSS TO SEE IF MORE INFO WAS AVAILABLE. IT WAS NOT, BUT THE BRIEFER KINDLY OFFERED TO CALL THE ARPT MGR FOR AN EXPLANATION, AND I SAID PLEASE DO. HE DID, BUT THE ARPT MGR DID NOT ANSWER. I THEN CALLED THE SJC AWOS-3 NUMBER TO LEARN WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY AND ANY ADDITIONAL PERTINENT INFO THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE (NONE WAS). THE WIND DIRECTION DID SUPPORT A LNDG ON RWY 32 AND ALL APPEARED OK FOR DEP, BUT I HAD A CONCERN ABOUT A POSSIBLE BUMP WHERE THE GRASS RWY 14/32 CROSSES THE PAVED RWY 9/27. AN ADDITIONAL CONCERN WAS MY ACFT INSURER AND ITS DISLIKE FOR POLICY HOLDERS TO USE UNFAMILIAR GRASS RWYS. AFTER SIGHTING BEAVER ISLAND, I CALLED UNICOM FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY, BUT THERE WAS NO ANSWER. BECAUSE REPEATED CALLS PRODUCED NO RESULTS, I CIRCLED THE ARPT BEFORE LNDG AND NOTED RWY 9.27 CONSTRUCTION WORK IN PROGRESS WITH LARGE DIRT AND GRAVEL HAULING TRUCKS RACING ACROSS THE TERMINAL PARKING RAMP, TXWYS, AND THE ACTIVE RWY 14/32. THEY DID NOT SLOW OR STOP TO SEE WHETHER LNDGS OR TKOFS WERE IN PROGRESS, AND THEY SPEWED HUGE CLOUDS OF DUST. AFTER LNG ON THE VERY BUMPY GRASS STRIP (ESPECIALLY WHERE IT CROSSED RWY 9/27), I FOUND THAT RWY 9/27 WAS BEING WIDENED AND LENGTHENED. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I RETURNED TO THE ARPT VIA MY RENTAL CAR TO CHK WHETHER IT WOULD BE SAFE TO TAXI FOR A RWY 14 TKOF BY GOING ALONGSIDE THE RWY. (THE WIND HAD CHANGED DIRECTION.) THE TXWY WAS BUMPY, BUT SAFE. IN THE PROCESS, I LEARNED THAT AN ORANGE RWY CLOSURE 'X' HAD BEEN PLACED AT THE INTXN OF RWY 27 AND THE EASTERNMOST TXWY (NOT BEING USED BY THE DIRT AND GRAVEL HAULERS) AND THAT THIS 'X' WAS MADE VIA PAINTING PIECES OF SNOW FENCE WHICH WERE THEN LAID ACROSS EACH OTHER ON THE GND IN A MANNER THAT COULD BE DAMAGING TO AIRPLANES, ESPECIALLY PROPS. THE GRAVEL HAULING CONTINUED WITH TRUCKS XING THE ACTIVE RWY AT FREQUENT INTERVALS WITHOUT SLOWING THE SLIGHTEST. ABOUT THIS TIME THE ARPT MGR DROVE OUT ONTO THE TXWY AND PROCEEDED TO CHEW ME OUT FOR BEING THERE. (A KEEN LOOKOUT FOR ALL POTENTIAL LNDGS AND TKOFS WAS BEING KEPT.) HE WAS VERY UNPLEASANT. SUBSEQUENTLY, I CALLED LANSING FSS TO ADVISE OF THE UNSAFE SIT AT SJX AND SUGGEST A NOTAM AMPLIFICATION. THE REPLY WAS THAT THEY WOULD NOT AMPLIFY THE GIVEN NOTAM. THEY SAID THAT ONLY THE ARPT MGR CAN SUBMIT NOTAM MATERIAL AND SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT HIM (NO WAY AFTER THAT CHEWING OUT!). APPARENTLY, FSS PERSONNEL DID NOT CONTACT HIM EITHER AS NO NOTAM CHANGES WERE MADE THAT DAY OR THE FOLLOWING DAY. FSS SAID THEY WOULD PUT OUT A PIREP, BUT THAT WOULD BE ERASED IN 1 HR. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN UNSAFE ARPT CONDITIONS ARE RPTED TO FSS PERSONNEL, IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW UP.

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.