Narrative:

On nov/xa/01, our flight originated out of syr bound for buf as flight abcd. I was the captain for said flight. My first officer picked up the ATIS and our clearance for buffalo just before boarding at XA20. Runway 15 was notamed closed, but is yet to be confirmed whether the information was on the ATIS or not. Ground/tower controller was called for clearance to taxi (both position were combined up at the time). The controller told us to taxi to runway 10, however, runway 15 was an 'option...winds 150 degrees at 10 KTS.' since runway 15 was being offered to us as an option, it was determined/assumed that the runway had opened between the time we got our information and the time we got our taxi clearance. We acknowledged the option and said we would like runway 15. The controller then told us to 'taxi to runway 15.' being that the runway had been closed, as we taxied out I scanned the runway for possible obstructions. None were seen. There were men working on the VASI's, but this is not uncommon. They and their vehicles (2 trucks) were off the runway and not considered to be a hazard. The runway was deemed to be clear and the taxi clearance appeared legitimate. As we neared the hold short line, the tower controller said 'company X, after departure turn left heading 070 degrees, winds 150 degrees at 10 KTS, runway 15 cleared for takeoff.' the clearance was acknowledged and we departed runway 15 and made our way to buffalo. It wasn't until 2 days after this flight I received a telephone call from our chief pilot telling me that the runway we had departed from was actually closed. I explained to him that based on the following facts, it was believed at the time, the runway was actually open: the local controller gave us clearance to taxi to runway 15 and take off on runway 15. No hazards were observed on runway 15 except 2 men working on the VASI's in which said men and vehicles were located off the runway. For the entire leg to buffalo from syracuse, we were never alerted to the incident nor told to contact anyone. 2 days had passed before any indication the incident took place. Remedies: besides the fact that we were coming off of a reduced rest overnight and sense of alertness was lower than normal, something very simple as cones or yellow X's placed at the beginning of the runway would have been a great asset to keeping this from happening. Hindsight, we should have definitely asked for clarification, but the tone of the controller's voice, his phraseology, and the seamless clrncs all the way to departure handoff were all indicative that the runway was open. As far as the tower goes, obviously the runway closure had slipped by the local controller and his supervisor -- perhaps a 'closed' sign on the tower window pane that looks out on that particular runway would be a simple cure. It could be placed out of the line of sight but high enough to be acknowledged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCL CTLR COMBINED WITH GND CTL AT SYR CLRS AN ACFT FOR TKOF ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/01, OUR FLT ORIGINATED OUT OF SYR BOUND FOR BUF AS FLT ABCD. I WAS THE CAPT FOR SAID FLT. MY FO PICKED UP THE ATIS AND OUR CLRNC FOR BUFFALO JUST BEFORE BOARDING AT XA20. RWY 15 WAS NOTAMED CLOSED, BUT IS YET TO BE CONFIRMED WHETHER THE INFO WAS ON THE ATIS OR NOT. GND/TWR CTLR WAS CALLED FOR CLRNC TO TAXI (BOTH POS WERE COMBINED UP AT THE TIME). THE CTLR TOLD US TO TAXI TO RWY 10, HOWEVER, RWY 15 WAS AN 'OPTION...WINDS 150 DEGS AT 10 KTS.' SINCE RWY 15 WAS BEING OFFERED TO US AS AN OPTION, IT WAS DETERMINED/ASSUMED THAT THE RWY HAD OPENED BTWN THE TIME WE GOT OUR INFO AND THE TIME WE GOT OUR TAXI CLRNC. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE OPTION AND SAID WE WOULD LIKE RWY 15. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO 'TAXI TO RWY 15.' BEING THAT THE RWY HAD BEEN CLOSED, AS WE TAXIED OUT I SCANNED THE RWY FOR POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTIONS. NONE WERE SEEN. THERE WERE MEN WORKING ON THE VASI'S, BUT THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON. THEY AND THEIR VEHICLES (2 TRUCKS) WERE OFF THE RWY AND NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A HAZARD. THE RWY WAS DEEMED TO BE CLR AND THE TAXI CLRNC APPEARED LEGITIMATE. AS WE NEARED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, THE TWR CTLR SAID 'COMPANY X, AFTER DEP TURN L HDG 070 DEGS, WINDS 150 DEGS AT 10 KTS, RWY 15 CLRED FOR TKOF.' THE CLRNC WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND WE DEPARTED RWY 15 AND MADE OUR WAY TO BUFFALO. IT WASN'T UNTIL 2 DAYS AFTER THIS FLT I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM OUR CHIEF PLT TELLING ME THAT THE RWY WE HAD DEPARTED FROM WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FACTS, IT WAS BELIEVED AT THE TIME, THE RWY WAS ACTUALLY OPEN: THE LCL CTLR GAVE US CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 15 AND TAKE OFF ON RWY 15. NO HAZARDS WERE OBSERVED ON RWY 15 EXCEPT 2 MEN WORKING ON THE VASI'S IN WHICH SAID MEN AND VEHICLES WERE LOCATED OFF THE RWY. FOR THE ENTIRE LEG TO BUFFALO FROM SYRACUSE, WE WERE NEVER ALERTED TO THE INCIDENT NOR TOLD TO CONTACT ANYONE. 2 DAYS HAD PASSED BEFORE ANY INDICATION THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE. REMEDIES: BESIDES THE FACT THAT WE WERE COMING OFF OF A REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT AND SENSE OF ALERTNESS WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL, SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE AS CONES OR YELLOW X'S PLACED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RWY WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT ASSET TO KEEPING THIS FROM HAPPENING. HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULD HAVE DEFINITELY ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION, BUT THE TONE OF THE CTLR'S VOICE, HIS PHRASEOLOGY, AND THE SEAMLESS CLRNCS ALL THE WAY TO DEP HDOF WERE ALL INDICATIVE THAT THE RWY WAS OPEN. AS FAR AS THE TWR GOES, OBVIOUSLY THE RWY CLOSURE HAD SLIPPED BY THE LCL CTLR AND HIS SUPVR -- PERHAPS A 'CLOSED' SIGN ON THE TWR WINDOW PANE THAT LOOKS OUT ON THAT PARTICULAR RWY WOULD BE A SIMPLE CURE. IT COULD BE PLACED OUT OF THE LINE OF SIGHT BUT HIGH ENOUGH TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED.

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.