<< >> NASA ASRS Report 596874, October 2003

A commercially rated pilot, flying as a passenger in a low wing single engine airplane, landed on a closed runway at 2r8, tx.

Attributes
ACN	596874
Time
Date	200310
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 2r8.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	596874
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We landed on a 'closed' runway at 2r8 mustang beach airport in port aransas, tx. The runway was closed for construction. This information was in NOTAMS, however, I failed to thoroughly check the NOTAMS 2r8 is an unattended field. It is managed by the city manager, who works at city hall, approximately 3 miles from the airfield. The runway maintenance contractor placed yellow X's in the grass overruns, off the departure end of each runway. These X's were made out of yellow webbing. The grass beneath the webbing was yellow (from lack of rain), and the grass had grown through the webbing. The X's were not visible from the air. There were no X's on any landing surface. Therefore, it did not appear to us that the runway was closed. There were no vehicles or personnel on the runway during landing. The city manager reported that approximately six other pilots had landed on this 'closed' runway. I suggest the city manager place the X's on the runway, near the 'numbers' so that they would be more visible to inbound pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIALLY RATED PLT, FLYING AS A PAX IN A LOW WING SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY AT 2R8, TX.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON A 'CLOSED' RWY AT 2R8 MUSTANG BEACH ARPT IN PORT ARANSAS, TX. THE RWY WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS INFO WAS IN NOTAMS, HOWEVER, I FAILED TO THOROUGHLY CHK THE NOTAMS 2R8 IS AN UNATTENDED FIELD. IT IS MANAGED BY THE CITY MGR, WHO WORKS AT CITY HALL, APPROX 3 MILES FROM THE AIRFIELD. THE RWY MAINT CONTRACTOR PLACED YELLOW X'S IN THE GRASS OVERRUNS, OFF THE DEP END OF EACH RWY. THESE X'S WERE MADE OUT OF YELLOW WEBBING. THE GRASS BENEATH THE WEBBING WAS YELLOW (FROM LACK OF RAIN), AND THE GRASS HAD GROWN THROUGH THE WEBBING. THE X'S WERE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE AIR. THERE WERE NO X'S ON ANY LNDG SURFACE. THEREFORE, IT DID NOT APPEAR TO US THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THERE WERE NO VEHICLES OR PERSONNEL ON THE RWY DURING LNDG. THE CITY MGR RPTED THAT APPROX SIX OTHER PLTS HAD LANDED ON THIS 'CLOSED' RWY. I SUGGEST THE CITY MGR PLACE THE X'S ON THE RWY, NEAR THE 'NUMBERS' SO THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE VISIBLE TO INBND PLTS.

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.