Narrative:

On the morning of feb/thu/03, myself and another pilot were scheduled to fly from cle to hpn, with a return to cle in the afternoon. I checked WX and NOTAMS for our cle departure and noticed runways 6L/24R was still closed. Runways 6L/24R is cle's newest runway, however, it has been notamed closed everyday that I've flown and I've never landed on runway 6L, nor have I seen any other aircraft do so. The normal procedure at cle is arrs on runway 6R with departing aircraft on runway 6C (which, until several months ago, was runway 6L). Departing cle for hpn, we departed runway 6C, and our trip to hpn was uneventful. Prior to departing hpn for cle, I again checked the WX and NOTAMS using a computerized WX service. The WX was still VFR with the forecast good, and the NOTAMS appeared to be identical to our departure NOTAMS. However, it appears I failed to notice that they (cle) switched the closure of the runways, with runway 6L now being open and runway 6C now closed. Approaching cle during daytime VFR conditions, we listened to the ATIS and both pilots failed to realize that runway 6C was closed and runway 6L was now active. This is one instance where being 'too familiar' with an airport worked to our disadvantage. As we approached cle at 7000 ft MSL, runways 6R and 6C were in plain view, however runway 6L does not catch the eye, as it has a much newer and therefore brighter paved surface. Runway 6L and associated txwys tend to blend in with the snow during this time of yr. Descending out of 7000 ft for 4000 ft, we were cleared for the visual approach to runway 6L. As I reduced throttles to idle, extended airbrakes and selected slats and flaps, the PNF and I began to complete the required checklists. I instinctively rolled the aircraft out onto final for runway 6C (the 'old' runway 6L). As I did this, cle tower cleared us to land on runway 6L. Incidentally, that was our only radio transmission that we received from tower. Believing everything was fine because we had just departed from this same runway just hours earlier, we proceeded and landed on runway 6C without proper clearance. It should be noted that the identifier for runway 6C was partially obscured due to snow, water and sand that was on the runway at time of landing. Also, since this occurrence, cle now places large and lighted 'X' signs at the ends of the closed runway, something they could have done, but failed to do, prior to our flight. In addition, the FAA has informed me that their records indicate that runway 6C was closed the entire 20 hours prior to our flight, which would mean our aircraft (as well as many others) departed runway 6C while it was technically closed. This policy of haphazardly opening and closing runways only adds to the confusion of pilots and probably ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IAI 1125 CPR CAPT RPTED CONFUSION BY CLE'S CHANGING OF RWY STATUS, INCLUDING MARKINGS AND USE, BTWN RWY 6L AND RWY 6C.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF FEB/THU/03, MYSELF AND ANOTHER PLT WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY FROM CLE TO HPN, WITH A RETURN TO CLE IN THE AFTERNOON. I CHKED WX AND NOTAMS FOR OUR CLE DEP AND NOTICED RWYS 6L/24R WAS STILL CLOSED. RWYS 6L/24R IS CLE'S NEWEST RWY, HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN NOTAMED CLOSED EVERYDAY THAT I'VE FLOWN AND I'VE NEVER LANDED ON RWY 6L, NOR HAVE I SEEN ANY OTHER ACFT DO SO. THE NORMAL PROC AT CLE IS ARRS ON RWY 6R WITH DEPARTING ACFT ON RWY 6C (WHICH, UNTIL SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WAS RWY 6L). DEPARTING CLE FOR HPN, WE DEPARTED RWY 6C, AND OUR TRIP TO HPN WAS UNEVENTFUL. PRIOR TO DEPARTING HPN FOR CLE, I AGAIN CHKED THE WX AND NOTAMS USING A COMPUTERIZED WX SVC. THE WX WAS STILL VFR WITH THE FORECAST GOOD, AND THE NOTAMS APPEARED TO BE IDENTICAL TO OUR DEP NOTAMS. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THEY (CLE) SWITCHED THE CLOSURE OF THE RWYS, WITH RWY 6L NOW BEING OPEN AND RWY 6C NOW CLOSED. APCHING CLE DURING DAYTIME VFR CONDITIONS, WE LISTENED TO THE ATIS AND BOTH PLTS FAILED TO REALIZE THAT RWY 6C WAS CLOSED AND RWY 6L WAS NOW ACTIVE. THIS IS ONE INSTANCE WHERE BEING 'TOO FAMILIAR' WITH AN ARPT WORKED TO OUR DISADVANTAGE. AS WE APCHED CLE AT 7000 FT MSL, RWYS 6R AND 6C WERE IN PLAIN VIEW, HOWEVER RWY 6L DOES NOT CATCH THE EYE, AS IT HAS A MUCH NEWER AND THEREFORE BRIGHTER PAVED SURFACE. RWY 6L AND ASSOCIATED TXWYS TEND TO BLEND IN WITH THE SNOW DURING THIS TIME OF YR. DSNDING OUT OF 7000 FT FOR 4000 FT, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 6L. AS I REDUCED THROTTLES TO IDLE, EXTENDED AIRBRAKES AND SELECTED SLATS AND FLAPS, THE PNF AND I BEGAN TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED CHKLISTS. I INSTINCTIVELY ROLLED THE ACFT OUT ONTO FINAL FOR RWY 6C (THE 'OLD' RWY 6L). AS I DID THIS, CLE TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 6L. INCIDENTALLY, THAT WAS OUR ONLY RADIO XMISSION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM TWR. BELIEVING EVERYTHING WAS FINE BECAUSE WE HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM THIS SAME RWY JUST HRS EARLIER, WE PROCEEDED AND LANDED ON RWY 6C WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE IDENTIFIER FOR RWY 6C WAS PARTIALLY OBSCURED DUE TO SNOW, WATER AND SAND THAT WAS ON THE RWY AT TIME OF LNDG. ALSO, SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE, CLE NOW PLACES LARGE AND LIGHTED 'X' SIGNS AT THE ENDS OF THE CLOSED RWY, SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE DONE, BUT FAILED TO DO, PRIOR TO OUR FLT. IN ADDITION, THE FAA HAS INFORMED ME THAT THEIR RECORDS INDICATE THAT RWY 6C WAS CLOSED THE ENTIRE 20 HRS PRIOR TO OUR FLT, WHICH WOULD MEAN OUR ACFT (AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS) DEPARTED RWY 6C WHILE IT WAS TECHNICALLY CLOSED. THIS POLICY OF HAPHAZARDLY OPENING AND CLOSING RWYS ONLY ADDS TO THE CONFUSION OF PLTS AND PROBABLY ATC.

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.