Narrative:

On jan xa-xb/08; runway 2/20 at sgf airport was closed. According to information we were given at the time; it was to remain closed for 2 weeks. As of mid april; the runway was still closed. According to airport personnel; it will remain closed until we have 2 solid weeks of time pass without rain; as they need to backfill a trench in the safety area of the runway. Our winds for the past 2 days have been out of the southwest at 25-40 KTS with gusts up to 50 KTS. Several air carrier's and air taxi pilots have complained about having to land on a crosswind runway with winds at these speeds. I have advised them to file ASRS reports and to discuss this situation with their flight operations. We have had several gars of both GA and commercial aircraft in the past 2 days due to the xwinds. A trench at the end of the runway should not be cause for closing the runway. It is in the safety area; not on the runway itself. If an aircraft were to land in the safety area; the presence of a trench would be the least of its problems. The runway is clear and there's no reason for it not to be opened -- at least until the equipment is actually ready and able to conduct the dirt work off the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SGF CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING EXTENDED RWY CLOSURE FOR WORK IN THE RWY SAFETY AREA.

Narrative: ON JAN XA-XB/08; RWY 2/20 AT SGF ARPT WAS CLOSED. ACCORDING TO INFO WE WERE GIVEN AT THE TIME; IT WAS TO REMAIN CLOSED FOR 2 WKS. AS OF MID APRIL; THE RWY WAS STILL CLOSED. ACCORDING TO ARPT PERSONNEL; IT WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL WE HAVE 2 SOLID WKS OF TIME PASS WITHOUT RAIN; AS THEY NEED TO BACKFILL A TRENCH IN THE SAFETY AREA OF THE RWY. OUR WINDS FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE SW AT 25-40 KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 KTS. SEVERAL ACR'S AND AIR TAXI PLTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING TO LAND ON A XWIND RWY WITH WINDS AT THESE SPDS. I HAVE ADVISED THEM TO FILE ASRS RPTS AND TO DISCUSS THIS SITUATION WITH THEIR FLT OPS. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL GARS OF BOTH GA AND COMMERCIAL ACFT IN THE PAST 2 DAYS DUE TO THE XWINDS. A TRENCH AT THE END OF THE RWY SHOULD NOT BE CAUSE FOR CLOSING THE RWY. IT IS IN THE SAFETY AREA; NOT ON THE RWY ITSELF. IF AN ACFT WERE TO LAND IN THE SAFETY AREA; THE PRESENCE OF A TRENCH WOULD BE THE LEAST OF ITS PROBS. THE RWY IS CLR AND THERE'S NO REASON FOR IT NOT TO BE OPENED -- AT LEAST UNTIL THE EQUIP IS ACTUALLY READY AND ABLE TO CONDUCT THE DIRT WORK OFF THE RWY.

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.