Narrative:

Landing at hio at dusk, under tower control, was aware via NOTAM that the runway would be closing at XA00 due to construction work being done overnight. Had clearance from tower to land, and performed a relatively short approach and landing, braking slightly to make the first turnoff to intersection bravo and my hangar. Was late dusk, so I couldn't see much of anything outside the field of my landing and taxi lights. The plane is a tailwheel model, so direct forward visibility was limited. Just as I was making the 90 degree turn into the taxiway, I saw 3 orange-vested construction workers running out of my way on the taxiway, on the runway side of the hold line, about 25-35 ft away. At the time, I was still slowing and going probably 20 mph. I braked to avoid them though they were more or less out of the way by the time I saw them. I said to the tower 'hey, there are people out here.' he said 'oh, yes, they must be getting ready to start work.' I'm not familiar with the rules for such activity, but I think construction workers should not be anywhere near the runway or adjacent turnoffs of an active runway, particularly after dark when visibility is limited. I believe the workers perhaps had seen other planes landing and going beyond the first turn and were complacent as a result, not realizing some would turn early. I was not informed by the tower that there would be workers on the runway prior to the XA00 runway closing. The tower should have told me that, at least. For my part, I should have come to a full stop when I saw the people, instead of just braking, then moving on when I saw that they were out of the way. They did wave to me as if to say 'we're clear,' but I shouldn't have trusted that and should have stopped to check for any further hazards. Since there were none (hazards) things turned out okay, but if it happened again I'd want to be sure before proceeding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HOMEBUILT SMA MADE SHORT LNDG AT HIO AT DUSK. WHEN TURNING OFF RWY, ENCOUNTERED WORKERS PREPARING TO CONDUCT RWY MAINT NOTAMED TO BEGIN 40 MINS LATER.

Narrative: LNDG AT HIO AT DUSK, UNDER TWR CTL, WAS AWARE VIA NOTAM THAT THE RWY WOULD BE CLOSING AT XA00 DUE TO CONSTRUCTION WORK BEING DONE OVERNIGHT. HAD CLRNC FROM TWR TO LAND, AND PERFORMED A RELATIVELY SHORT APCH AND LNDG, BRAKING SLIGHTLY TO MAKE THE FIRST TURNOFF TO INTXN BRAVO AND MY HANGAR. WAS LATE DUSK, SO I COULDN'T SEE MUCH OF ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE FIELD OF MY LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS. THE PLANE IS A TAILWHEEL MODEL, SO DIRECT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED. JUST AS I WAS MAKING THE 90 DEG TURN INTO THE TXWY, I SAW 3 ORANGE-VESTED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS RUNNING OUT OF MY WAY ON THE TXWY, ON THE RWY SIDE OF THE HOLD LINE, ABOUT 25-35 FT AWAY. AT THE TIME, I WAS STILL SLOWING AND GOING PROBABLY 20 MPH. I BRAKED TO AVOID THEM THOUGH THEY WERE MORE OR LESS OUT OF THE WAY BY THE TIME I SAW THEM. I SAID TO THE TWR 'HEY, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE.' HE SAID 'OH, YES, THEY MUST BE GETTING READY TO START WORK.' I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE RULES FOR SUCH ACTIVITY, BUT I THINK CONSTRUCTION WORKERS SHOULD NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE RWY OR ADJACENT TURNOFFS OF AN ACTIVE RWY, PARTICULARLY AFTER DARK WHEN VISIBILITY IS LIMITED. I BELIEVE THE WORKERS PERHAPS HAD SEEN OTHER PLANES LNDG AND GOING BEYOND THE FIRST TURN AND WERE COMPLACENT AS A RESULT, NOT REALIZING SOME WOULD TURN EARLY. I WAS NOT INFORMED BY THE TWR THAT THERE WOULD BE WORKERS ON THE RWY PRIOR TO THE XA00 RWY CLOSING. THE TWR SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT, AT LEAST. FOR MY PART, I SHOULD HAVE COME TO A FULL STOP WHEN I SAW THE PEOPLE, INSTEAD OF JUST BRAKING, THEN MOVING ON WHEN I SAW THAT THEY WERE OUT OF THE WAY. THEY DID WAVE TO ME AS IF TO SAY 'WE'RE CLR,' BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED THAT AND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED TO CHK FOR ANY FURTHER HAZARDS. SINCE THERE WERE NONE (HAZARDS) THINGS TURNED OUT OKAY, BUT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN I'D WANT TO BE SURE BEFORE PROCEEDING.

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.