C172 pilot departed a closed airport.

Attributes
ACN	707138
Time
Date	200608
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s69.airport
State Reference	MT
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 10232 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	707138
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

With me flying; my wife and I landed at our home airport (S69) lincoln; mt; after the united states forest service declared it closed for a fire on a distant ridge. The circumstance is that the airport had been recently re-opened after almost 1 yr of being closed. On the inbound flight into lincoln at 10 mi out; I dialed in the frequency 122.9 and announced my intentions to land. The radio was silent. As I approached the airport; I announced I was inbound for left traffic runway 22. At this point a voice said; 'the lincoln airport is closed.' I asked for an explanation. I was told that there was a fire in the vicinity and aircraft were using the airport as a base to fight it. The voice on the radio asked why I wanted to land and I told him that my hangar and my car were here. He gave me permission to land if I stayed clear of the helicopter tied down on a pad near the far end of the runway. It was the only aircraft anywhere to be seen. Once I landed; he drove down and talked with me. I did not get his name. I asked him if since the airport was newly opened and there was no electricity reconnected yet; could we take our car home; get a few things; then return and remove our plane from the airport. He said I could do that. We were gone about 1 1/2 hours. We boarded the plane; taxied out and did our run-up. My wife; who was now flying; announced that we were departing runway 22. A voice on the radio said; 'the lincoln airport is closed.' my wife explained we had been told we could depart. There was no response on the radio; so we departed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT DEPARTED A CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: WITH ME FLYING; MY WIFE AND I LANDED AT OUR HOME ARPT (S69) LINCOLN; MT; AFTER THE UNITED STATES FOREST SVC DECLARED IT CLOSED FOR A FIRE ON A DISTANT RIDGE. THE CIRCUMSTANCE IS THAT THE ARPT HAD BEEN RECENTLY RE-OPENED AFTER ALMOST 1 YR OF BEING CLOSED. ON THE INBOUND FLT INTO LINCOLN AT 10 MI OUT; I DIALED IN THE FREQ 122.9 AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND. THE RADIO WAS SILENT. AS I APCHED THE ARPT; I ANNOUNCED I WAS INBOUND FOR L TFC RWY 22. AT THIS POINT A VOICE SAID; 'THE LINCOLN ARPT IS CLOSED.' I ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE VICINITY AND ACFT WERE USING THE ARPT AS A BASE TO FIGHT IT. THE VOICE ON THE RADIO ASKED WHY I WANTED TO LAND AND I TOLD HIM THAT MY HANGAR AND MY CAR WERE HERE. HE GAVE ME PERMISSION TO LAND IF I STAYED CLR OF THE HELI TIED DOWN ON A PAD NEAR THE FAR END OF THE RWY. IT WAS THE ONLY ACFT ANYWHERE TO BE SEEN. ONCE I LANDED; HE DROVE DOWN AND TALKED WITH ME. I DID NOT GET HIS NAME. I ASKED HIM IF SINCE THE ARPT WAS NEWLY OPENED AND THERE WAS NO ELECTRICITY RECONNECTED YET; COULD WE TAKE OUR CAR HOME; GET A FEW THINGS; THEN RETURN AND REMOVE OUR PLANE FROM THE ARPT. HE SAID I COULD DO THAT. WE WERE GONE ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS. WE BOARDED THE PLANE; TAXIED OUT AND DID OUR RUN-UP. MY WIFE; WHO WAS NOW FLYING; ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 22. A VOICE ON THE RADIO SAID; 'THE LINCOLN ARPT IS CLOSED.' MY WIFE EXPLAINED WE HAD BEEN TOLD WE COULD DEPART. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE ON THE RADIO; SO WE DEPARTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.