Narrative:

I flew cessna cardinal C177RG from my home airport of anp to esn for training. I then flew back from esn to anp at the end of the afternoon in VFR conditions. I had filed ADIZ departure and entry flight plans earlier that afternoon with leesburg FSS. My flight plan to anp had an expected off time at esn of XA15 with 15 mins en route. I asked for an abbreviated briefing and specifically for NOTAMS related to esn and ged. After training; I lifted off from esn around XA50 and contacted potomac approach (126.75) which provided me a squawk for the ADIZ entry. The flight was uneventful at 2500 ft across the chesapeake bay and the evening was fast coming on with the sun setting in the west. I spotted the airport beacon from 8 mi out and called potomac to let them know I had anp in sight. The controller said 'keep the code until landing and change to advisories approved.' then he quickly amended that to say 'please stay with me.' I acknowledged the 'stay with' potomac and was descending toward the airport. The controller then asked if I was familiar with the NOTAM that closed anp at XB00. With a long pause and a puzzled voice I stated I was not -- I had not received such a NOTAM during my flight briefing that afternoon. I asked if this was a recent NOTAM. The controller stated that anp had been closed every night all week with this NOTAM. He asked my intentions. I stated that I would circle over anp and try to raise someone on the ground; using my second radio; to explain the NOTAM. Although not needed as there was still sufficient daylight; I turned on the runway lights by clicking on unicom (122.9) -- thus; the pilot controled lighting activated correctly. The airport beacon was operating properly. I circled anp 3 times and made 3 radio calls in the blind on 122.9 asking if anyone was at anp. I received no reply and there appeared to be no activity on the field -- I saw no people; planes or cars moving. I could not see any obstructions on the runway or txwys. There were no 'X' markings (indicative of a closed runway) on the runway ends. The airport thus appeared normal and operational. At this time it was 18 mins after the NOTAM took effect and it was getting darker on the ground. I went back to potomac's frequency and stated that I would fly to fme and land. The potomac controller was very helpful through all this. He even offered to have his supervisor pull the NOTAM and read the details to see if there was a reason stated for the closure. I thought about his offered help but declined as I did not see a way to open the airport for my landing in a reasonable amount of time and effort. I flew to fme and landed uneventfully. Once I got home that night; I checked on the internet and found indeed a NOTAM that stated anp airport closed daily. I will call FSS and ask why I did not get the NOTAM on the airport closure. It is possible that my request for an abbreviated briefing was related. It is also possible that the timing of my return flight plan caused the NOTAM to be 'dropped.' in any event; I have learned that I should carefully request NOTAMS on my airport for the return flight and not assume I know everything that is going on at the airport from which I departed only a few hours before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177RG PLT IS UNABLE TO LAND AT ANP WHEN NOTIFIED THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED VIA NOTAM WHICH WASN'T DISCLOSED AT THE TIME OF FSS BRIEFING.

Narrative: I FLEW CESSNA CARDINAL C177RG FROM MY HOME ARPT OF ANP TO ESN FOR TRAINING. I THEN FLEW BACK FROM ESN TO ANP AT THE END OF THE AFTERNOON IN VFR CONDITIONS. I HAD FILED ADIZ DEP AND ENTRY FLT PLANS EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON WITH LEESBURG FSS. MY FLT PLAN TO ANP HAD AN EXPECTED OFF TIME AT ESN OF XA15 WITH 15 MINS ENRTE. I ASKED FOR AN ABBREVIATED BRIEFING AND SPECIFICALLY FOR NOTAMS RELATED TO ESN AND GED. AFTER TRAINING; I LIFTED OFF FROM ESN AROUND XA50 AND CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH (126.75) WHICH PROVIDED ME A SQUAWK FOR THE ADIZ ENTRY. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AT 2500 FT ACROSS THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND THE EVENING WAS FAST COMING ON WITH THE SUN SETTING IN THE W. I SPOTTED THE ARPT BEACON FROM 8 MI OUT AND CALLED POTOMAC TO LET THEM KNOW I HAD ANP IN SIGHT. THE CTLR SAID 'KEEP THE CODE UNTIL LNDG AND CHANGE TO ADVISORIES APPROVED.' THEN HE QUICKLY AMENDED THAT TO SAY 'PLEASE STAY WITH ME.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE 'STAY WITH' POTOMAC AND WAS DSNDING TOWARD THE ARPT. THE CTLR THEN ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE NOTAM THAT CLOSED ANP AT XB00. WITH A LONG PAUSE AND A PUZZLED VOICE I STATED I WAS NOT -- I HAD NOT RECEIVED SUCH A NOTAM DURING MY FLT BRIEFING THAT AFTERNOON. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A RECENT NOTAM. THE CTLR STATED THAT ANP HAD BEEN CLOSED EVERY NIGHT ALL WK WITH THIS NOTAM. HE ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I STATED THAT I WOULD CIRCLE OVER ANP AND TRY TO RAISE SOMEONE ON THE GND; USING MY SECOND RADIO; TO EXPLAIN THE NOTAM. ALTHOUGH NOT NEEDED AS THERE WAS STILL SUFFICIENT DAYLIGHT; I TURNED ON THE RWY LIGHTS BY CLICKING ON UNICOM (122.9) -- THUS; THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING ACTIVATED CORRECTLY. THE ARPT BEACON WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. I CIRCLED ANP 3 TIMES AND MADE 3 RADIO CALLS IN THE BLIND ON 122.9 ASKING IF ANYONE WAS AT ANP. I RECEIVED NO REPLY AND THERE APPEARED TO BE NO ACTIVITY ON THE FIELD -- I SAW NO PEOPLE; PLANES OR CARS MOVING. I COULD NOT SEE ANY OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE RWY OR TXWYS. THERE WERE NO 'X' MARKINGS (INDICATIVE OF A CLOSED RWY) ON THE RWY ENDS. THE ARPT THUS APPEARED NORMAL AND OPERATIONAL. AT THIS TIME IT WAS 18 MINS AFTER THE NOTAM TOOK EFFECT AND IT WAS GETTING DARKER ON THE GND. I WENT BACK TO POTOMAC'S FREQ AND STATED THAT I WOULD FLY TO FME AND LAND. THE POTOMAC CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL THROUGH ALL THIS. HE EVEN OFFERED TO HAVE HIS SUPVR PULL THE NOTAM AND READ THE DETAILS TO SEE IF THERE WAS A REASON STATED FOR THE CLOSURE. I THOUGHT ABOUT HIS OFFERED HELP BUT DECLINED AS I DID NOT SEE A WAY TO OPEN THE ARPT FOR MY LNDG IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT. I FLEW TO FME AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ONCE I GOT HOME THAT NIGHT; I CHKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND INDEED A NOTAM THAT STATED ANP ARPT CLOSED DAILY. I WILL CALL FSS AND ASK WHY I DID NOT GET THE NOTAM ON THE ARPT CLOSURE. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MY REQUEST FOR AN ABBREVIATED BRIEFING WAS RELATED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE TIMING OF MY RETURN FLT PLAN CAUSED THE NOTAM TO BE 'DROPPED.' IN ANY EVENT; I HAVE LEARNED THAT I SHOULD CAREFULLY REQUEST NOTAMS ON MY ARPT FOR THE RETURN FLT AND NOT ASSUME I KNOW EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON AT THE ARPT FROM WHICH I DEPARTED ONLY A FEW HRS BEFORE.

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.