Narrative:

I am a private pilot working towards my instrument rating. I left cleveland with current WX and did not receive any discrepancies on WX. My flight took me to tuskegee, al, (06A) and then on to tuscaloosa, al, then back to cleveland. Upon my return, a large squall line had formed and was moving towards cleveland. I did not feel that continuing on as a VFR flight would be wise, so I turned around to find that the storm had built around me as well. Immediate landing was necessary and the closest airfield was ruleville-drew (M37). The rotating beacon was lit and I made my approach. I saw some type of fabric that had been blown around at the end of each runway, not on the runway itself, but in the grass 30-40 ft off the runway. One of the pieces of fabric formed an X. The rotating beacon was operating and I had no time to divert to another airport. Any continuation in the flight would have caused an emergency. I made one pass, at pattern altitude, to survey the field and saw nothing wrong with the landing strip itself. Construction was being done on the south end of the runway run-up area. I landed at the field and found out later that the field was closed. I feel that a more visible way of showing a closed airport could have been used other than material that could be blown around by the wind. I also feel that an operating rotating beacon gives the impression that the airport is in use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SINGLE PLT DIVERTED TO A CLOSED ARPT, M37, AND LANDED AS A PRECAUTION DUE TO ENCOUNTERING UNEXPECTED IMC.

Narrative: I AM A PVT PLT WORKING TOWARDS MY INST RATING. I LEFT CLEVELAND WITH CURRENT WX AND DID NOT RECEIVE ANY DISCREPANCIES ON WX. MY FLT TOOK ME TO TUSKEGEE, AL, (06A) AND THEN ON TO TUSCALOOSA, AL, THEN BACK TO CLEVELAND. UPON MY RETURN, A LARGE SQUALL LINE HAD FORMED AND WAS MOVING TOWARDS CLEVELAND. I DID NOT FEEL THAT CONTINUING ON AS A VFR FLT WOULD BE WISE, SO I TURNED AROUND TO FIND THAT THE STORM HAD BUILT AROUND ME AS WELL. IMMEDIATE LNDG WAS NECESSARY AND THE CLOSEST AIRFIELD WAS RULEVILLE-DREW (M37). THE ROTATING BEACON WAS LIT AND I MADE MY APCH. I SAW SOME TYPE OF FABRIC THAT HAD BEEN BLOWN AROUND AT THE END OF EACH RWY, NOT ON THE RWY ITSELF, BUT IN THE GRASS 30-40 FT OFF THE RWY. ONE OF THE PIECES OF FABRIC FORMED AN X. THE ROTATING BEACON WAS OPERATING AND I HAD NO TIME TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT. ANY CONTINUATION IN THE FLT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN EMER. I MADE ONE PASS, AT PATTERN ALT, TO SURVEY THE FIELD AND SAW NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LNDG STRIP ITSELF. CONSTRUCTION WAS BEING DONE ON THE S END OF THE RWY RUN-UP AREA. I LANDED AT THE FIELD AND FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE FIELD WAS CLOSED. I FEEL THAT A MORE VISIBLE WAY OF SHOWING A CLOSED ARPT COULD HAVE BEEN USED OTHER THAN MATERIAL THAT COULD BE BLOWN AROUND BY THE WIND. I ALSO FEEL THAT AN OPERATING ROTATING BEACON GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT THE ARPT IS IN USE.

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.