Narrative:

This incident occurred upon landing at opf on runway 9L. The winds at opf were 010 at 9 KTS; most of the landing and departing traffic were using runway 30. Due to many factors: time of day; unfamiliar airport; uncontrolled airspace and personal safety guidelines; the PNF and I discussed landing on runway 9L using the ILS; runway 30 does not have an approach. We determined that the longer runway and having an ILS made runway 9L the better choice; and requested vectors for that approach. Reaching 3000 ft and roughly 5 miles north of opf; we called airport in sight and turned onto a left downwind. Both pilots were monitoring miami center and local unicom. There were several aircraft using runway 30; one on the upwind; one in position (holding for us) and at least one inbound. Miami alerted us to C172 traffic on a five mile final; practice approach ILS runway 9L; we called traffic in sight; and were cleared for the visual approach. The PNF canceled IFR; then keyed his microphone several times; trying to increase the intensity of the 9L runway lights; I called VASI's in sight; and asked him to try again to with the runway 9L lights. I made my base to final turn just inside the final approach fix; intercepted the localizer and GS and continued on final. The C172 traffic was clear the runway and no longer a factor; the PNF made radio calls announcing our turn on base; final and short final for runway 9L. On approximately a two mile final I called 9L runway lights in sight and the PNF confirmed. Using the visual references; the runway 9L VASI; and the ILS; we descend and made a normal landing on runway 9L. We exited runway 9L onto taxiway east; the PNF announced over unicom that we were clear of all runways. At this time a person called over unicom; 'ah; jet traffic that just landed on runway 9L; that runway is closed.' our approved weather briefing printout includes NOTAMS; our paperwork listed runway 9R/27L as the closed runway. We continued to the ramp; shut down and deplaned our passenger. I promptly went to the briefing room at the FBO and printed out another copy of the NOTAMS for opf using the wsi terminal. This listed no NOTAMS for the closure of runway 9L/27R either. In accordance with company procedures; I contacted my chief pilot and informed him of the situation. After asking a staff member of the FBO I was told that runway 9L is closed at night; but he was also unable to show me any documentation of this fact. The following day I discussed this with the FBO manager and airport operations; advising them that if runway 9L/27R is indeed closed after sunset; there is no information available to transit pilots who are unfamiliar with this airport. As of XA00Z 6/2008 the NOTAMS for opf still do not list runway 9L/27R as closed after sunset. From a human factors standpoint; I am unsure how this event could have been avoided. While enroute; the PNF and I had a lengthy discussion about our upcoming landing at opf. We used all available resources; took into account several relevant factors; and were in agreement about landing on runway 9L. We both had visual on C172 traffic ahead on the approach; the VASI for runway 9L; the runway lights for runway 9L (although we both commented on the low intensity). Runway 12/30 was well lit and I considered switching to runway 30. Due the amount of uncontrolled traffic in the airspace; and the fact that we were established on approach to runway 9L with that runway in sight; I elected to continue to land. In hindsight; if either crew member had been aware of the possibility that runway 9L/27R was closed; we would not have landed on it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BUSINESS JET FLT CREW LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY AT OPF.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED UPON LNDG AT OPF ON RWY 9L. THE WINDS AT OPF WERE 010 AT 9 KTS; MOST OF THE LNDG AND DEPARTING TFC WERE USING RWY 30. DUE TO MANY FACTORS: TIME OF DAY; UNFAMILIAR ARPT; UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE AND PERSONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES; THE PNF AND I DISCUSSED LNDG ON RWY 9L USING THE ILS; RWY 30 DOES NOT HAVE AN APCH. WE DETERMINED THAT THE LONGER RWY AND HAVING AN ILS MADE RWY 9L THE BETTER CHOICE; AND REQUESTED VECTORS FOR THAT APCH. REACHING 3000 FT AND ROUGHLY 5 MILES NORTH OF OPF; WE CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND TURNED ONTO A L DOWNWIND. BOTH PLTS WERE MONITORING MIAMI CTR AND LCL UNICOM. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT USING RWY 30; ONE ON THE UPWIND; ONE IN POSITION (HOLDING FOR US) AND AT LEAST ONE INBND. MIAMI ALERTED US TO C172 TFC ON A FIVE MILE FINAL; PRACTICE APCH ILS RWY 9L; WE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT; AND WERE CLEARED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THE PNF CANCELED IFR; THEN KEYED HIS MIC SEVERAL TIMES; TRYING TO INCREASE THE INTENSITY OF THE 9L RWY LIGHTS; I CALLED VASI'S IN SIGHT; AND ASKED HIM TO TRY AGAIN TO WITH THE RWY 9L LIGHTS. I MADE MY BASE TO FINAL TURN JUST INSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX; INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND GS AND CONTINUED ON FINAL. THE C172 TFC WAS CLEAR THE RWY AND NO LONGER A FACTOR; THE PNF MADE RADIO CALLS ANNOUNCING OUR TURN ON BASE; FINAL AND SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 9L. ON APPROX A TWO MILE FINAL I CALLED 9L RWY LIGHTS IN SIGHT AND THE PNF CONFIRMED. USING THE VISUAL REFERENCES; THE RWY 9L VASI; AND THE ILS; WE DSND AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 9L. WE EXITED RWY 9L ONTO TXWY E; THE PNF ANNOUNCED OVER UNICOM THAT WE WERE CLEAR OF ALL RWYS. AT THIS TIME A PERSON CALLED OVER UNICOM; 'AH; JET TFC THAT JUST LANDED ON RWY 9L; THAT RWY IS CLOSED.' OUR APPROVED WEATHER BRIEFING PRINTOUT INCLUDES NOTAMS; OUR PAPERWORK LISTED RWY 9R/27L AS THE CLOSED RWY. WE CONTINUED TO THE RAMP; SHUT DOWN AND DEPLANED OUR PAX. I PROMPTLY WENT TO THE BRIEFING ROOM AT THE FBO AND PRINTED OUT ANOTHER COPY OF THE NOTAMS FOR OPF USING THE WSI TERMINAL. THIS LISTED NO NOTAMS FOR THE CLOSURE OF RWY 9L/27R EITHER. IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS; I CONTACTED MY CHIEF PLT AND INFORMED HIM OF THE SITUATION. AFTER ASKING A STAFF MEMBER OF THE FBO I WAS TOLD THAT RWY 9L IS CLOSED AT NIGHT; BUT HE WAS ALSO UNABLE TO SHOW ME ANY DOCUMENTATION OF THIS FACT. THE FOLLOWING DAY I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE FBO MANAGER AND ARPT OPS; ADVISING THEM THAT IF RWY 9L/27R IS INDEED CLOSED AFTER SUNSET; THERE IS NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO TRANSIT PLTS WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT. AS OF XA00Z 6/2008 THE NOTAMS FOR OPF STILL DO NOT LIST RWY 9L/27R AS CLOSED AFTER SUNSET. FROM A HUMAN FACTORS STANDPOINT; I AM UNSURE HOW THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. WHILE ENROUTE; THE PNF AND I HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR UPCOMING LNDG AT OPF. WE USED ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES; TOOK INTO ACCOUNT SEVERAL RELEVANT FACTORS; AND WERE IN AGREEMENT ABOUT LNDG ON RWY 9L. WE BOTH HAD VISUAL ON C172 TFC AHEAD ON THE APCH; THE VASI FOR RWY 9L; THE RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 9L (ALTHOUGH WE BOTH COMMENTED ON THE LOW INTENSITY). RWY 12/30 WAS WELL LIT AND I CONSIDERED SWITCHING TO RWY 30. DUE THE AMOUNT OF UNCONTROLLED TFC IN THE AIRSPACE; AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON APCH TO RWY 9L WITH THAT RWY IN SIGHT; I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO LAND. IN HINDSIGHT; IF EITHER CREW MEMBER HAD BEEN AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT RWY 9L/27R WAS CLOSED; WE WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED ON IT.

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.