Narrative:

I departed the nampa airport for a flight to the caldwell, identification, airport (eul). It was mentioned that there had been an aircraft accident at caldwell, so I was aware that the airport might be closed. I monitored unicom for nampa and caldwell airports, and determined that there were multiple aircraft in the pattern at caldwell. We departed nampa and monitored unicom during the entire flight. After departing nampa, I made multiple radio calls indicating my intention to land at caldwell. 1 was made at 2 mi east, 1 on 45 degree entry, 1 on downwind, 1 on base to final. From the time we were on 45 degree entry, it appeared that we were #3 for landing. While on downwind, I could see the wrecked aircraft in a corn field 100 or so yards to the right of the approach end of runway 30 -- the one I was using. As I turned final, someone asked if I was aware that the threshold was displaced 1500 ft on unicom frequency. At about the same time, it became apparent that there was an emergency vehicle on the runway along with some orange cones nearby, approximately 1000-1500 ft down the runway. I acknowledged the transmission with 'I see that, I'll land beyond them.' I sidestepped around the emergency vehicle and landed on the remaining runway. I taxied to parking, and it became apparent that the fire department vehicle had followed me to the tie-down. He asked me for some identify as I opened the door to the aircraft, and I asked him what the problem was. 'Are you aware that landing on a runway when there is an emergency vehicle on it is a federal offense?' was his response. I explained that the only marking I knew of that indicated a runway closure was X's on the runway. I also explained that someone said over unicom that the threshold was displaced and that I thought he was marking the threshold. The fire department official proceeded to gather information on my identify and registration information on the aircraft. In the process, I asked him about the 2 aircraft ahead of me in the pattern. He said that 2 other aircraft had preceded me in landing, and that they were trying to find them as well. I have since looked in the far/aim to find information about emergency vehicles on the runway indicating closure and am unable to locate any. Contributing factors were the unidented person on unicom indicating a displaced threshold. Also, emergency personnel apparently had no way of broadcasting the runway closure on unicom frequency, and the FBO who operates unicom was not broadcasting the closure either. Furthermore, there were no markings on the runway to indicate the closure which were consistent with the information in the aim. I have asked a few other pilots about emergency vehicles on the runway indicating a closure, and none of them were aware of it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT LANDS AT AN UNCTLED ARPT WHILE AN EMER VEHICLE IS ON RWY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED THE NAMPA ARPT FOR A FLT TO THE CALDWELL, ID, ARPT (EUL). IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ACFT ACCIDENT AT CALDWELL, SO I WAS AWARE THAT THE ARPT MIGHT BE CLOSED. I MONITORED UNICOM FOR NAMPA AND CALDWELL ARPTS, AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT CALDWELL. WE DEPARTED NAMPA AND MONITORED UNICOM DURING THE ENTIRE FLT. AFTER DEPARTING NAMPA, I MADE MULTIPLE RADIO CALLS INDICATING MY INTENTION TO LAND AT CALDWELL. 1 WAS MADE AT 2 MI E, 1 ON 45 DEG ENTRY, 1 ON DOWNWIND, 1 ON BASE TO FINAL. FROM THE TIME WE WERE ON 45 DEG ENTRY, IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE #3 FOR LNDG. WHILE ON DOWNWIND, I COULD SEE THE WRECKED ACFT IN A CORN FIELD 100 OR SO YARDS TO THE R OF THE APCH END OF RWY 30 -- THE ONE I WAS USING. AS I TURNED FINAL, SOMEONE ASKED IF I WAS AWARE THAT THE THRESHOLD WAS DISPLACED 1500 FT ON UNICOM FREQ. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE WAS AN EMER VEHICLE ON THE RWY ALONG WITH SOME ORANGE CONES NEARBY, APPROX 1000-1500 FT DOWN THE RWY. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION WITH 'I SEE THAT, I'LL LAND BEYOND THEM.' I SIDESTEPPED AROUND THE EMER VEHICLE AND LANDED ON THE REMAINING RWY. I TAXIED TO PARKING, AND IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE FIRE DEPT VEHICLE HAD FOLLOWED ME TO THE TIE-DOWN. HE ASKED ME FOR SOME IDENT AS I OPENED THE DOOR TO THE ACFT, AND I ASKED HIM WHAT THE PROB WAS. 'ARE YOU AWARE THAT LNDG ON A RWY WHEN THERE IS AN EMER VEHICLE ON IT IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE?' WAS HIS RESPONSE. I EXPLAINED THAT THE ONLY MARKING I KNEW OF THAT INDICATED A RWY CLOSURE WAS X'S ON THE RWY. I ALSO EXPLAINED THAT SOMEONE SAID OVER UNICOM THAT THE THRESHOLD WAS DISPLACED AND THAT I THOUGHT HE WAS MARKING THE THRESHOLD. THE FIRE DEPT OFFICIAL PROCEEDED TO GATHER INFO ON MY IDENT AND REGISTRATION INFO ON THE ACFT. IN THE PROCESS, I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE 2 ACFT AHEAD OF ME IN THE PATTERN. HE SAID THAT 2 OTHER ACFT HAD PRECEDED ME IN LNDG, AND THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO FIND THEM AS WELL. I HAVE SINCE LOOKED IN THE FAR/AIM TO FIND INFO ABOUT EMER VEHICLES ON THE RWY INDICATING CLOSURE AND AM UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE UNIDENTED PERSON ON UNICOM INDICATING A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. ALSO, EMER PERSONNEL APPARENTLY HAD NO WAY OF BROADCASTING THE RWY CLOSURE ON UNICOM FREQ, AND THE FBO WHO OPERATES UNICOM WAS NOT BROADCASTING THE CLOSURE EITHER. FURTHERMORE, THERE WERE NO MARKINGS ON THE RWY TO INDICATE THE CLOSURE WHICH WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE INFO IN THE AIM. I HAVE ASKED A FEW OTHER PLTS ABOUT EMER VEHICLES ON THE RWY INDICATING A CLOSURE, AND NONE OF THEM WERE AWARE OF IT.

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.