Narrative:

After filing our flight plan via 1-800-wxbrief; my copilot and I stepped to the aircraft; completed our standard preflight; and checked ATIS. The ATIS information at opf included the standard information (winds; altimeter setting; and other WX). It also informed us that both the tower and ground were closed for the night; as well as runway 18/36. This checked with the NOTAMS; which we had checked prior to departure from home station; and had checked again prior to stepping to the aircraft for this leg of the flight. Since ground and tower were closed; we ran our checklists; announced our intentions on CTAF and taxied toward runway 9L (which was the runway we arrived on about 1.5 hours earlier). While taxiing; my copilot contacted miami departure control; and put our IFR clearance on request. Departure asked us what runway we would be departing on; and we informed them that it would be runway 9L. Departure's clearance included 'fly runway heading; climb and maintain 3000; expect 8000 10 mins after departure...' they also informed us that our clearance would be void after XA20 hours (it was at that time; XA15). With our clearance received and our checklists complete; we announced our intentions once more on CTAF; and took runway 9L. After running up the power and clearing straight-ahead and along the txwys; we took off. Shortly afterward; we announced our departure to CTAF; contacted miami departure; and continued to home station. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. Although the entire flight seemed uneventful; there were some things that bothered me quite a bit during the flight home. For one; the runway lights seemed unusually dim during our line-up; and my efforts at brightening them using the standard methods for working pilot controled lighting failed. For another; none of the other aircraft in the terminal area were using runway 9L; in spite of the fact that the winds favored it; and it was by far the longest runway. That bothered me so much; in fact; that I reviewed the us airfield directory once more; and found that runway 9L/27R is actually closed during the hours that the tower and ground is closed. This bothered me quite a bit; since none of that information was passed on either via the NOTAMS or the ATIS. The only place I could find it was in the airfield directory. Furthermore; departure control did not have any problem with us departing from runway 9L. Although it is not their responsibility to control us at that point; I would imagine it would be very difficult for them to not know runway 9L was closed. The only reason the runway is closed is for noise abatement; and if I ever need to take off on that runway again; I could just call on CTAF; or I could call the airfield manager via telephone. They then would turn up the lights; and I could take off on runway 9L/27R. Personally; I think this type of information should have been included in both the NOTAMS and in ATIS. If it was mentioned in either; we would have caught it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE OPF RWY 9L/27R IS CLOSED WHEN THE TOWER IS CLOSED FOR NOISE ABATEMENT BUT IS NOT NOTAMED AS CLOSED. IF NEEDED THE RWY CAN BE USED AND THE RWY LIGHTS CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE ARPT MGR AFTER HOURS.

Narrative: AFTER FILING OUR FLT PLAN VIA 1-800-WXBRIEF; MY COPLT AND I STEPPED TO THE ACFT; COMPLETED OUR STANDARD PREFLT; AND CHKED ATIS. THE ATIS INFO AT OPF INCLUDED THE STANDARD INFO (WINDS; ALTIMETER SETTING; AND OTHER WX). IT ALSO INFORMED US THAT BOTH THE TWR AND GND WERE CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT; AS WELL AS RWY 18/36. THIS CHKED WITH THE NOTAMS; WHICH WE HAD CHKED PRIOR TO DEP FROM HOME STATION; AND HAD CHKED AGAIN PRIOR TO STEPPING TO THE ACFT FOR THIS LEG OF THE FLT. SINCE GND AND TWR WERE CLOSED; WE RAN OUR CHKLISTS; ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTIONS ON CTAF AND TAXIED TOWARD RWY 9L (WHICH WAS THE RWY WE ARRIVED ON ABOUT 1.5 HRS EARLIER). WHILE TAXIING; MY COPLT CONTACTED MIAMI DEP CTL; AND PUT OUR IFR CLRNC ON REQUEST. DEP ASKED US WHAT RWY WE WOULD BE DEPARTING ON; AND WE INFORMED THEM THAT IT WOULD BE RWY 9L. DEP'S CLRNC INCLUDED 'FLY RWY HDG; CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000; EXPECT 8000 10 MINS AFTER DEP...' THEY ALSO INFORMED US THAT OUR CLRNC WOULD BE VOID AFTER XA20 HRS (IT WAS AT THAT TIME; XA15). WITH OUR CLRNC RECEIVED AND OUR CHKLISTS COMPLETE; WE ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTIONS ONCE MORE ON CTAF; AND TOOK RWY 9L. AFTER RUNNING UP THE PWR AND CLRING STRAIGHT-AHEAD AND ALONG THE TXWYS; WE TOOK OFF. SHORTLY AFTERWARD; WE ANNOUNCED OUR DEP TO CTAF; CONTACTED MIAMI DEP; AND CONTINUED TO HOME STATION. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALTHOUGH THE ENTIRE FLT SEEMED UNEVENTFUL; THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME QUITE A BIT DURING THE FLT HOME. FOR ONE; THE RWY LIGHTS SEEMED UNUSUALLY DIM DURING OUR LINE-UP; AND MY EFFORTS AT BRIGHTENING THEM USING THE STANDARD METHODS FOR WORKING PLT CTLED LIGHTING FAILED. FOR ANOTHER; NONE OF THE OTHER ACFT IN THE TERMINAL AREA WERE USING RWY 9L; IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE WINDS FAVORED IT; AND IT WAS BY FAR THE LONGEST RWY. THAT BOTHERED ME SO MUCH; IN FACT; THAT I REVIEWED THE US AIRFIELD DIRECTORY ONCE MORE; AND FOUND THAT RWY 9L/27R IS ACTUALLY CLOSED DURING THE HRS THAT THE TWR AND GND IS CLOSED. THIS BOTHERED ME QUITE A BIT; SINCE NONE OF THAT INFO WAS PASSED ON EITHER VIA THE NOTAMS OR THE ATIS. THE ONLY PLACE I COULD FIND IT WAS IN THE AIRFIELD DIRECTORY. FURTHERMORE; DEP CTL DID NOT HAVE ANY PROB WITH US DEPARTING FROM RWY 9L. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO CTL US AT THAT POINT; I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO NOT KNOW RWY 9L WAS CLOSED. THE ONLY REASON THE RWY IS CLOSED IS FOR NOISE ABATEMENT; AND IF I EVER NEED TO TAKE OFF ON THAT RWY AGAIN; I COULD JUST CALL ON CTAF; OR I COULD CALL THE AIRFIELD MGR VIA TELEPHONE. THEY THEN WOULD TURN UP THE LIGHTS; AND I COULD TAKE OFF ON RWY 9L/27R. PERSONALLY; I THINK THIS TYPE OF INFO SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN BOTH THE NOTAMS AND IN ATIS. IF IT WAS MENTIONED IN EITHER; WE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT.

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.