Narrative:

While established on the 18 DME arc of the VOR DME runway 9 approach at nome, to my surprise, nome FSS informed me that runway 9/27 was closed. I leveled off at 7000 ft and proceeded to the ome VOR to hold as published per zan's instructions. After setting up and configuring for the NDB runway 2 approach, we landed safely. On the ground, I inspected all my flight paperwork. Nowhere was a NOTAM or a report that runway 9/27 was closed. This was also confirmed by seattle dispatch. However, the dispatcher informed me that their paperwork showed the runway closed. Somehow my paperwork was delivered without the runway closure. I called nome FSS. The gentleman informed me the runway had been closed since june, however, they had changed the NOTAM that day. The change extended the runway closure 3 more days. To do that, they canceled the original NOTAM, then issued a revised NOTAM reflecting the 3 day extension. My guess is I downloaded my paperwork at precisely the time between the cancellation of the old NOTAM and the issuance of the revised NOTAM. I can thank my lucky stars that nome FSS informed me that the runway was closed on our initial call. That call interrupted a chain of events that could have resulted in us landing on a closed runway. I had every intention of landing on runway 9. The following are 3 missed opportunities we could have been informed about the runway closures: 1) the FAA canceled the old NOTAM before issuing the revised NOTAM. They should have done just the opposite -- issue the revised NOTAM first before canceling the old NOTAM. 2) on the ground in otz, before the flight to ome, I phoned seattle dispatch about the WX, the winds, the fuel load, and approachs at nome. I couldn't understand why the dispatcher was encouraging me to land on runway 2 when the winds were more favorable for runway 9. I thought he somehow felt the clouds over the water wouldn't be as low which didn't make sense to me. I told him I planned to do the VOR DME 9. He asked me about my circling minimums (1000-3). I told him if I couldn't land out of the VOR approach, I'd do the NDB 2. At no time were closed runways mentioned. I mistakenly thought I made it clear to the dispatcher my intentions. I'm sure he thought we were aware of the runway closure, but didn't understand why I would fly the VOR DME 9 approach when the WX didn't allow for a circle. I wish he had questioned my intentions more vigorously. 3) en route to nome, I requested the VOR DME 9 from zan. They confirmed my intentions, then cleared us to intercept the 18 DME arc. My first officer commented they didn't sound very confident, but we got our clearance anyway. Center must have assumed we intended to circle to runway 2. We were sent over to nome FSS after being cleared for the approach. I'm not sure what I could have done differently other than quizzed the dispatcher more about why he wanted us to land on runway 2.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OME FSS ALERTS B737 FLC TO RWY CLOSURE WHILE ON APCH. FLC RETURNS TO HOLDING WITH ZAN TO RECONFIGURE FOR ANOTHER RWY APCH. FLC QUESTIONS NOTAM ISSUANCE.

Narrative: WHILE ESTABLISHED ON THE 18 DME ARC OF THE VOR DME RWY 9 APCH AT NOME, TO MY SURPRISE, NOME FSS INFORMED ME THAT RWY 9/27 WAS CLOSED. I LEVELED OFF AT 7000 FT AND PROCEEDED TO THE OME VOR TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED PER ZAN'S INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER SETTING UP AND CONFIGURING FOR THE NDB RWY 2 APCH, WE LANDED SAFELY. ON THE GND, I INSPECTED ALL MY FLT PAPERWORK. NOWHERE WAS A NOTAM OR A RPT THAT RWY 9/27 WAS CLOSED. THIS WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY SEATTLE DISPATCH. HOWEVER, THE DISPATCHER INFORMED ME THAT THEIR PAPERWORK SHOWED THE RWY CLOSED. SOMEHOW MY PAPERWORK WAS DELIVERED WITHOUT THE RWY CLOSURE. I CALLED NOME FSS. THE GENTLEMAN INFORMED ME THE RWY HAD BEEN CLOSED SINCE JUNE, HOWEVER, THEY HAD CHANGED THE NOTAM THAT DAY. THE CHANGE EXTENDED THE RWY CLOSURE 3 MORE DAYS. TO DO THAT, THEY CANCELED THE ORIGINAL NOTAM, THEN ISSUED A REVISED NOTAM REFLECTING THE 3 DAY EXTENSION. MY GUESS IS I DOWNLOADED MY PAPERWORK AT PRECISELY THE TIME BTWN THE CANCELLATION OF THE OLD NOTAM AND THE ISSUANCE OF THE REVISED NOTAM. I CAN THANK MY LUCKY STARS THAT NOME FSS INFORMED ME THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED ON OUR INITIAL CALL. THAT CALL INTERRUPTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN US LNDG ON A CLOSED RWY. I HAD EVERY INTENTION OF LNDG ON RWY 9. THE FOLLOWING ARE 3 MISSED OPPORTUNITIES WE COULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THE RWY CLOSURES: 1) THE FAA CANCELED THE OLD NOTAM BEFORE ISSUING THE REVISED NOTAM. THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE JUST THE OPPOSITE -- ISSUE THE REVISED NOTAM FIRST BEFORE CANCELING THE OLD NOTAM. 2) ON THE GND IN OTZ, BEFORE THE FLT TO OME, I PHONED SEATTLE DISPATCH ABOUT THE WX, THE WINDS, THE FUEL LOAD, AND APCHS AT NOME. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE DISPATCHER WAS ENCOURAGING ME TO LAND ON RWY 2 WHEN THE WINDS WERE MORE FAVORABLE FOR RWY 9. I THOUGHT HE SOMEHOW FELT THE CLOUDS OVER THE WATER WOULDN'T BE AS LOW WHICH DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. I TOLD HIM I PLANNED TO DO THE VOR DME 9. HE ASKED ME ABOUT MY CIRCLING MINIMUMS (1000-3). I TOLD HIM IF I COULDN'T LAND OUT OF THE VOR APCH, I'D DO THE NDB 2. AT NO TIME WERE CLOSED RWYS MENTIONED. I MISTAKENLY THOUGHT I MADE IT CLR TO THE DISPATCHER MY INTENTIONS. I'M SURE HE THOUGHT WE WERE AWARE OF THE RWY CLOSURE, BUT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WOULD FLY THE VOR DME 9 APCH WHEN THE WX DIDN'T ALLOW FOR A CIRCLE. I WISH HE HAD QUESTIONED MY INTENTIONS MORE VIGOROUSLY. 3) ENRTE TO NOME, I REQUESTED THE VOR DME 9 FROM ZAN. THEY CONFIRMED MY INTENTIONS, THEN CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE 18 DME ARC. MY FO COMMENTED THEY DIDN'T SOUND VERY CONFIDENT, BUT WE GOT OUR CLRNC ANYWAY. CTR MUST HAVE ASSUMED WE INTENDED TO CIRCLE TO RWY 2. WE WERE SENT OVER TO NOME FSS AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH. I'M NOT SURE WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY OTHER THAN QUIZZED THE DISPATCHER MORE ABOUT WHY HE WANTED US TO LAND ON RWY 2.

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.