Narrative:

I departed on a local scenic flight in my private airplane around lake tahoe. It was an extremely clear and beautiful day after a weekend sierra snow storm. I accomplished all the preflight planning with the exception of checking the local NOTAMS. As ZZZ is remote; and uncontrolled; I did not have access to NOTAMS at that time. I was able to contact the FBO at lake tahoe airport (tvl) and ask about the possibility of stopping in for lunch since I would be around the lake; but it was not my primary intention to land there. The FBO said they could accommodate if I came in but the plow was finishing up clearing some snow and would be done by XA00 (the FBO made no mention that the field was NOTAM'd closed). ZZZ was in good shape and the snow plow driver was finishing clearing the runway. After listening to AWOS; I coordinated directly with him to depart safely; and departed ZZZ for the lake tahoe area. After a scenic flight around the lake; and in constant view of tvl; I decided to land and get lunch (it was XB30). I listened to ASOS several times and set up for a straight in approach to runway 18 and made all traffic calls on CTAF frequency; as tvl is an uncontrolled field. Throughout the entire approach and landing; the runway was completely clear; and the only vehicles I observed were a couple of plows working the ramp areas. Upon landing and clearing the runway; one of the snow plow drivers met me on the taxiway; I shut down to talk with him and coordination a parking spot; but he was visibly angry that I did not know the field was NOTAM'd closed. I explained that I had called ahead; listened to ASOS; and made all traffic calls. I also explained that the runway was completely clear and the operation of the aircraft was done in an extremely safe manner. I spoke with his supervisor and we both decided the best course of action was to depart and allow the field personnel time to completely open the airport. I returned to ZZZ; and after ensuring the runway and plow driver were completely clear; landed uneventfully. I did not intentionally violate any far's that day and at no time during these events did anything unsafe occur; but I was surprised to learn that field closures are not always announced on ASOS or AWOS. ZZZ may also have been closed that day; but the plow driver nor myself would have known. I contacted the local FSDO office and spoke with FAA reps. They validated; and to my knowledge there is no far prohibiting safe VFR operations from a closed; uncontrolled field. (I will continue to research this topic). We did however agree that it would be helpful for pilots to know if an airport is closed via ASOS or AWOS; if NOTAM's are unavailable. It was my incorrect understanding that both AWOS and ASOS report NOTAMS affecting the airport. I know now that they can; but do not always do so; and there is no way for the pilot to know if there are no NOTAMS; or they just have not been inputted into the AWOS/ASOS. Excerpts from NOAA AWOS and ASOS descriptions: 'many of the ASOS stations; with staffed air traffic control towers; are monitored and human observers can edit or augment the automated observations.' 'the AWOS is an unbiased weather observing system that performs without human intervention unless a manually augmented report is desired.' AWOS and ASOS systems have been a great benefit to pilots; particularly at uncontrolled and closed fields. However; I believe it would make for a safer airway system if ASOS and AWOS included important airfield information; including closures; to allow pilots to make good decisions armed with all information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LANDED AT AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IT HAD BEEN NOTAM'D CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ON A LOCAL SCENIC FLT IN MY PRIVATE AIRPLANE AROUND LAKE TAHOE. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY CLR AND BEAUTIFUL DAY AFTER A WEEKEND SIERRA SNOW STORM. I ACCOMPLISHED ALL THE PREFLT PLANNING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHKING THE LOCAL NOTAMS. AS ZZZ IS REMOTE; AND UNCONTROLLED; I DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO NOTAMS AT THAT TIME. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE FBO AT LAKE TAHOE ARPT (TVL) AND ASK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF STOPPING IN FOR LUNCH SINCE I WOULD BE AROUND THE LAKE; BUT IT WAS NOT MY PRIMARY INTENTION TO LAND THERE. THE FBO SAID THEY COULD ACCOMMODATE IF I CAME IN BUT THE PLOW WAS FINISHING UP CLRING SOME SNOW AND WOULD BE DONE BY XA00 (THE FBO MADE NO MENTION THAT THE FIELD WAS NOTAM'D CLOSED). ZZZ WAS IN GOOD SHAPE AND THE SNOW PLOW DRIVER WAS FINISHING CLRING THE RWY. AFTER LISTENING TO AWOS; I COORDINATED DIRECTLY WITH HIM TO DEPART SAFELY; AND DEPARTED ZZZ FOR THE LAKE TAHOE AREA. AFTER A SCENIC FLT AROUND THE LAKE; AND IN CONSTANT VIEW OF TVL; I DECIDED TO LAND AND GET LUNCH (IT WAS XB30). I LISTENED TO ASOS SEVERAL TIMES AND SET UP FOR A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 18 AND MADE ALL TFC CALLS ON CTAF FREQ; AS TVL IS AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE APCH AND LNDG; THE RWY WAS COMPLETELY CLR; AND THE ONLY VEHICLES I OBSERVED WERE A COUPLE OF PLOWS WORKING THE RAMP AREAS. UPON LNDG AND CLRING THE RWY; ONE OF THE SNOW PLOW DRIVERS MET ME ON THE TXWY; I SHUT DOWN TO TALK WITH HIM AND COORD A PARKING SPOT; BUT HE WAS VISIBLY ANGRY THAT I DID NOT KNOW THE FIELD WAS NOTAM'D CLOSED. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD CALLED AHEAD; LISTENED TO ASOS; AND MADE ALL TFC CALLS. I ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THE RWY WAS COMPLETELY CLR AND THE OPERATION OF THE ACFT WAS DONE IN AN EXTREMELY SAFE MANNER. I SPOKE WITH HIS SUPVR AND WE BOTH DECIDED THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO DEPART AND ALLOW THE FIELD PERSONNEL TIME TO COMPLETELY OPEN THE ARPT. I RETURNED TO ZZZ; AND AFTER ENSURING THE RWY AND PLOW DRIVER WERE COMPLETELY CLR; LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY VIOLATE ANY FAR'S THAT DAY AND AT NO TIME DURING THESE EVENTS DID ANYTHING UNSAFE OCCUR; BUT I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT FIELD CLOSURES ARE NOT ALWAYS ANNOUNCED ON ASOS OR AWOS. ZZZ MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN CLOSED THAT DAY; BUT THE PLOW DRIVER NOR MYSELF WOULD HAVE KNOWN. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL FSDO OFFICE AND SPOKE WITH FAA REPS. THEY VALIDATED; AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO FAR PROHIBITING SAFE VFR OPS FROM A CLOSED; UNCONTROLLED FIELD. (I WILL CONTINUE TO RESEARCH THIS TOPIC). WE DID HOWEVER AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR PLTS TO KNOW IF AN ARPT IS CLOSED VIA ASOS OR AWOS; IF NOTAM'S ARE UNAVAILABLE. IT WAS MY INCORRECT UNDERSTANDING THAT BOTH AWOS AND ASOS RPT NOTAMS AFFECTING THE ARPT. I KNOW NOW THAT THEY CAN; BUT DO NOT ALWAYS DO SO; AND THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE PLT TO KNOW IF THERE ARE NO NOTAMS; OR THEY JUST HAVE NOT BEEN INPUTTED INTO THE AWOS/ASOS. EXCERPTS FROM NOAA AWOS AND ASOS DESCRIPTIONS: 'MANY OF THE ASOS STATIONS; WITH STAFFED AIR TFC CONTROL TOWERS; ARE MONITORED AND HUMAN OBSERVERS CAN EDIT OR AUGMENT THE AUTOMATED OBSERVATIONS.' 'THE AWOS IS AN UNBIASED WEATHER OBSERVING SYSTEM THAT PERFORMS WITHOUT HUMAN INTERVENTION UNLESS A MANUALLY AUGMENTED RPT IS DESIRED.' AWOS AND ASOS SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN A GREAT BENEFIT TO PLTS; PARTICULARLY AT UNCONTROLLED AND CLOSED FIELDS. HOWEVER; I BELIEVE IT WOULD MAKE FOR A SAFER AIRWAY SYSTEM IF ASOS AND AWOS INCLUDED IMPORTANT AIRFIELD INFORMATION; INCLUDING CLOSURES; TO ALLOW PLTS TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ARMED WITH ALL INFORMATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.