Narrative:

Departed runway 16 at hpn at XA50. Runway was closed until XB00. Filed an IFR flight plan from hpn to bos, departed at hpn at XA30. No mention of FSS about runway closure. Flight plan filed 2 hours earlier that morning. Aircraft (king air 200) was parked at an hpn FBO and all necessary employees to handle their trip. Passenger arrived at XA30 and the aircraft was readied for departure. Received ASOS after engine start, and still no mention of runway closure. Tried to get clearance from clearance delivery frequency with no success, so called new york approach on 126.4 to get clearance. Had to wait for this controller to finish issuing a clearance to another aircraft at hpn. I then received our clearance and was instructed to call again when ready for departure. Still no mention of runway closure. Used ground control frequency to taxi to runway 16 which was fully lighted at the time. No one else on that frequency. Called new york 126.4 after run-up complete to inform them we were ready for departure. Time XA50. He instructed me to switch to CTAF and call him on 126.4 after airborne. Still no mention that runway was closed. Switched to tower frequency and asked about other traffic, no response. Informed traffic of our departure and departed at XA50. At this time I had no idea runway 16 was closed. If an airport closes a runway, they should either block the txwys, turn the lights off, monitor the airport radio frequencys, or somehow let pilots know that it is closed. A NOTAM can be missed by either the pilot or the FSS. Where we have redundant safety items, a one chance notice of something so important is not enough.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SINGLE B200 PLT DEPARTED ON CLOSED RWY 16 AT HPN.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 16 AT HPN AT XA50. RWY WAS CLOSED UNTIL XB00. FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM HPN TO BOS, DEPARTED AT HPN AT XA30. NO MENTION OF FSS ABOUT RWY CLOSURE. FLT PLAN FILED 2 HRS EARLIER THAT MORNING. ACFT (KING AIR 200) WAS PARKED AT AN HPN FBO AND ALL NECESSARY EMPLOYEES TO HANDLE THEIR TRIP. PAX ARRIVED AT XA30 AND THE ACFT WAS READIED FOR DEP. RECEIVED ASOS AFTER ENG START, AND STILL NO MENTION OF RWY CLOSURE. TRIED TO GET CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ WITH NO SUCCESS, SO CALLED NEW YORK APCH ON 126.4 TO GET CLRNC. HAD TO WAIT FOR THIS CTLR TO FINISH ISSUING A CLRNC TO ANOTHER ACFT AT HPN. I THEN RECEIVED OUR CLRNC AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL AGAIN WHEN READY FOR DEP. STILL NO MENTION OF RWY CLOSURE. USED GND CTL FREQ TO TAXI TO RWY 16 WHICH WAS FULLY LIGHTED AT THE TIME. NO ONE ELSE ON THAT FREQ. CALLED NEW YORK 126.4 AFTER RUN-UP COMPLETE TO INFORM THEM WE WERE READY FOR DEP. TIME XA50. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO SWITCH TO CTAF AND CALL HIM ON 126.4 AFTER AIRBORNE. STILL NO MENTION THAT RWY WAS CLOSED. SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ AND ASKED ABOUT OTHER TFC, NO RESPONSE. INFORMED TFC OF OUR DEP AND DEPARTED AT XA50. AT THIS TIME I HAD NO IDEA RWY 16 WAS CLOSED. IF AN ARPT CLOSES A RWY, THEY SHOULD EITHER BLOCK THE TXWYS, TURN THE LIGHTS OFF, MONITOR THE ARPT RADIO FREQS, OR SOMEHOW LET PLTS KNOW THAT IT IS CLOSED. A NOTAM CAN BE MISSED BY EITHER THE PLT OR THE FSS. WHERE WE HAVE REDUNDANT SAFETY ITEMS, A ONE CHANCE NOTICE OF SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT IS NOT ENOUGH.

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.