Narrative:

We agreed to do the ILS and I loaded the approach in the FMS and tuned the localizer to 110.75 and set the inbound course of 029 degrees. We switched to fayetteville approach and the controller asked if we wanted the visual approach. Declined and asked for ILS 3. The controller began vectoring us for the ILS final outside leeco (IAF) tt beacon. I selected direct it in the FMS but did not tune the NDB frequency 406. The last vector I remember was heading 090 degrees and a clearance to descend to 2100 ft. The PF called the airport in sight as I was running the checklist. I began monitoring the sanford unicom frequency and made a call that we were inbound for the ILS 3. I looked out to see an airport at about 10-11 O'clock position and about 5 mi away. We were descending through 3000 ft for 2100 ft and it appeared that we were a little too high to make the approach. We decided to cancel IFR and maneuver visually for the airport. I called fayetteville approach and advised airport in sight and canceled IFR. Fayetteville approach responded, 'cancellation received, squawk 1200, no observed traffic, change to advisory frequency approved.' I called left base for runway 3, sanford-lee county, and a cessna reported 10 mi south inbound for runway 3. We did not see him visually, but did have a target on the TCASII as we circled back to the runway to rejoin final. The target appeared at our 6 O'clock position about 6 mi away. This may or may not have been the cessna, but we thought it probably was. I announced the final approach to runway 3 about 1 mi out. At this point it appeared there was a white object on the runway. Initially, we thought it was another airplane. However, at 1/2 mi final, determined it was a vehicle. The PF stated 'I'm going around' and as he said this, the vehicle cleared the runway and the decision was made to continue to land. We landed, and as we rolled out we noticed more vehicles which were marked and unmarked law enforcement, just off the left side of the runway about mid field. As we passed them, the thought went through my mind that there may have been an earlier accident or some other suspicious activity. As we slowly rolled to the end of the runway, a faded X vaguely appeared over the runway number '21' indicating this to be a closed runway. We cleared the runway and moved onto a taxiway and stopped. We were at the airport formerly known as sanford-lee county brick field (W77) located about 6 mi ssw of tta. A white unmarked law enforcement vehicle approached us and I, as the captain, got out to talk to the officer. He asked if I knew that I had landed at a closed airport and I said, 'I do now.' what caused the situation: pilots: 1) not maintaining SOP. A) failure to tune the NDB. B) not backing up visual information with navigation once the decision to go visual was made. C) failure to go around at the first inclination something was not right. D) not positively identing the airport. East) not recognizing it was a no precision runway. 2) time management. A) numerous flts that day and trying to keep on schedule. ATC: 1) not verifying that we had correct airport in sight. Airport: 1) runway not clearly marked closed. 2) fixation on the vehicle caused pilots not to recognize the faded out X over the '03.' chart: 1) closed airport not idented on approach plates and en route low altitude charts. 2) no special notes to indicate that this airport might be mistaken for tta on approach plates.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ45 FLT CREW LANDS AT A CLOSED ARPT MISTAKENLY IDENTED AS TTA.

Narrative: WE AGREED TO DO THE ILS AND I LOADED THE APCH IN THE FMS AND TUNED THE LOC TO 110.75 AND SET THE INBOUND COURSE OF 029 DEGS. WE SWITCHED TO FAYETTEVILLE APCH AND THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WANTED THE VISUAL APCH. DECLINED AND ASKED FOR ILS 3. THE CTLR BEGAN VECTORING US FOR THE ILS FINAL OUTSIDE LEECO (IAF) TT BEACON. I SELECTED DIRECT IT IN THE FMS BUT DID NOT TUNE THE NDB FREQ 406. THE LAST VECTOR I REMEMBER WAS HDG 090 DEGS AND A CLRNC TO DSND TO 2100 FT. THE PF CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AS I WAS RUNNING THE CHKLIST. I BEGAN MONITORING THE SANFORD UNICOM FREQ AND MADE A CALL THAT WE WERE INBOUND FOR THE ILS 3. I LOOKED OUT TO SEE AN ARPT AT ABOUT 10-11 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 5 MI AWAY. WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 3000 FT FOR 2100 FT AND IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE A LITTLE TOO HIGH TO MAKE THE APCH. WE DECIDED TO CANCEL IFR AND MANEUVER VISUALLY FOR THE ARPT. I CALLED FAYETTEVILLE APCH AND ADVISED ARPT IN SIGHT AND CANCELED IFR. FAYETTEVILLE APCH RESPONDED, 'CANCELLATION RECEIVED, SQUAWK 1200, NO OBSERVED TFC, CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQ APPROVED.' I CALLED L BASE FOR RWY 3, SANFORD-LEE COUNTY, AND A CESSNA RPTED 10 MI S INBOUND FOR RWY 3. WE DID NOT SEE HIM VISUALLY, BUT DID HAVE A TARGET ON THE TCASII AS WE CIRCLED BACK TO THE RWY TO REJOIN FINAL. THE TARGET APPEARED AT OUR 6 O'CLOCK POS ABOUT 6 MI AWAY. THIS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE CESSNA, BUT WE THOUGHT IT PROBABLY WAS. I ANNOUNCED THE FINAL APCH TO RWY 3 ABOUT 1 MI OUT. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARED THERE WAS A WHITE OBJECT ON THE RWY. INITIALLY, WE THOUGHT IT WAS ANOTHER AIRPLANE. HOWEVER, AT 1/2 MI FINAL, DETERMINED IT WAS A VEHICLE. THE PF STATED 'I'M GOING AROUND' AND AS HE SAID THIS, THE VEHICLE CLRED THE RWY AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO LAND. WE LANDED, AND AS WE ROLLED OUT WE NOTICED MORE VEHICLES WHICH WERE MARKED AND UNMARKED LAW ENFORCEMENT, JUST OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY ABOUT MID FIELD. AS WE PASSED THEM, THE THOUGHT WENT THROUGH MY MIND THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN EARLIER ACCIDENT OR SOME OTHER SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. AS WE SLOWLY ROLLED TO THE END OF THE RWY, A FADED X VAGUELY APPEARED OVER THE RWY NUMBER '21' INDICATING THIS TO BE A CLOSED RWY. WE CLRED THE RWY AND MOVED ONTO A TXWY AND STOPPED. WE WERE AT THE ARPT FORMERLY KNOWN AS SANFORD-LEE COUNTY BRICK FIELD (W77) LOCATED ABOUT 6 MI SSW OF TTA. A WHITE UNMARKED LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE APCHED US AND I, AS THE CAPT, GOT OUT TO TALK TO THE OFFICER. HE ASKED IF I KNEW THAT I HAD LANDED AT A CLOSED ARPT AND I SAID, 'I DO NOW.' WHAT CAUSED THE SIT: PLTS: 1) NOT MAINTAINING SOP. A) FAILURE TO TUNE THE NDB. B) NOT BACKING UP VISUAL INFO WITH NAV ONCE THE DECISION TO GO VISUAL WAS MADE. C) FAILURE TO GO AROUND AT THE FIRST INCLINATION SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. D) NOT POSITIVELY IDENTING THE ARPT. E) NOT RECOGNIZING IT WAS A NO PRECISION RWY. 2) TIME MGMNT. A) NUMEROUS FLTS THAT DAY AND TRYING TO KEEP ON SCHEDULE. ATC: 1) NOT VERIFYING THAT WE HAD CORRECT ARPT IN SIGHT. ARPT: 1) RWY NOT CLRLY MARKED CLOSED. 2) FIXATION ON THE VEHICLE CAUSED PLTS NOT TO RECOGNIZE THE FADED OUT X OVER THE '03.' CHART: 1) CLOSED ARPT NOT IDENTED ON APCH PLATES AND ENRTE LOW ALT CHARTS. 2) NO SPECIAL NOTES TO INDICATE THAT THIS ARPT MIGHT BE MISTAKEN FOR TTA ON APCH PLATES.

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.