Narrative:

The crew took off early in the morning. After departure the crew was assigned a northwesterly heading for approximately 15 mi and was cleared direct to ZZZ. Approach told the crew to advise the field in sight. About 10-12 mi out the crew advised that they had the field in sight. Approach then cleared the crew for a visual approach to runway xx ZZZ and told them to contact tower. The crew contacted tower and was cleared to land runway xx. About 400-500 ft above touchdown the crew noticed that there were men and equipment in the displaced threshold area for runway xx; but not on the runway itself. The workers were in a truck that had a yellow X either attached to it or in tow; and it appeared that the men were standing by in preparation to close the runway but not that the runway was already closed. The workers were well clear of the actual runway and the crew briefly discussed the situation and verified with each other that they were in fact cleared to land on runway xx. Again; the men and equipment were well clear of the runway threshold and it appeared that they were only standing by in preparation to close the runway but had not yet done so. The yellow X that the men and equipment had; was not illuminated nor fully set up as it would be during a normal runway closure. After taking these facts into account and visually verifying that the entire length of the actual runway was clear of any men or equipment the crew determined that it was safe to continue and land. The plane touched down between 1500 and 2000 ft beyond the threshold and the crew then taxied into the FBO and shut down the aircraft. About 5 mins after shutdown mr X began to prepare for the next departure by recording the ATIS and obtaining a clearance. The ATIS being aired was the same ATIS information that was used earlier on the approach and there was no designation of any runway closures on the ATIS. All frequencys on the field were combined and it should be noted that while waiting to receive a clearance mr X overheard tower clearing other aircraft to taxi to runway xy for departures; so it is evident that other aircraft; under the direction of the tower; were still using the same runway that the crew had just used for landing. Hearing the other aircraft taxiing out to runway xy the crew assumed that runway was being used for departure and set that up in the FMS. About 40 mins later; when the crew called to taxi; the runway was changed to xz for departure. Apparently runway xx and xy were not being used anymore. The next day; mr Y was contacted by the FAA and interrogated on these events because the airport manager made a false claim that aircraft X landed on runway xx when it was closed and while men and equipment were on the runway. These accusations are false and at no time during the approach or landing phase were there any men or equipment on the runway nor were there any clear indications that the runway had already been closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW REPORTS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR LANDING ON CLOSED RWY ALTHOUGH CLEARED TO LAND BY TOWER; DUE TO PAEW (PERSONNEL AND EQUIP WORKING) IN DISPLACED THRESHOLD.

Narrative: THE CREW TOOK OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING. AFTER DEP THE CREW WAS ASSIGNED A NORTHWESTERLY HDG FOR APPROX 15 MI AND WAS CLRED DIRECT TO ZZZ. APCH TOLD THE CREW TO ADVISE THE FIELD IN SIGHT. ABOUT 10-12 MI OUT THE CREW ADVISED THAT THEY HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. APCH THEN CLRED THE CREW FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY XX ZZZ AND TOLD THEM TO CONTACT TWR. THE CREW CONTACTED TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY XX. ABOUT 400-500 FT ABOVE TOUCHDOWN THE CREW NOTICED THAT THERE WERE MEN AND EQUIP IN THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AREA FOR RWY XX; BUT NOT ON THE RWY ITSELF. THE WORKERS WERE IN A TRUCK THAT HAD A YELLOW X EITHER ATTACHED TO IT OR IN TOW; AND IT APPEARED THAT THE MEN WERE STANDING BY IN PREPARATION TO CLOSE THE RWY BUT NOT THAT THE RWY WAS ALREADY CLOSED. THE WORKERS WERE WELL CLR OF THE ACTUAL RWY AND THE CREW BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND VERIFIED WITH EACH OTHER THAT THEY WERE IN FACT CLRED TO LAND ON RWY XX. AGAIN; THE MEN AND EQUIP WERE WELL CLR OF THE RWY THRESHOLD AND IT APPEARED THAT THEY WERE ONLY STANDING BY IN PREPARATION TO CLOSE THE RWY BUT HAD NOT YET DONE SO. THE YELLOW X THAT THE MEN AND EQUIP HAD; WAS NOT ILLUMINATED NOR FULLY SET UP AS IT WOULD BE DURING A NORMAL RWY CLOSURE. AFTER TAKING THESE FACTS INTO ACCOUNT AND VISUALLY VERIFYING THAT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE ACTUAL RWY WAS CLR OF ANY MEN OR EQUIP THE CREW DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE AND LAND. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN BTWN 1500 AND 2000 FT BEYOND THE THRESHOLD AND THE CREW THEN TAXIED INTO THE FBO AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER SHUTDOWN MR X BEGAN TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DEP BY RECORDING THE ATIS AND OBTAINING A CLRNC. THE ATIS BEING AIRED WAS THE SAME ATIS INFO THAT WAS USED EARLIER ON THE APCH AND THERE WAS NO DESIGNATION OF ANY RWY CLOSURES ON THE ATIS. ALL FREQS ON THE FIELD WERE COMBINED AND IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHILE WAITING TO RECEIVE A CLRNC MR X OVERHEARD TWR CLRING OTHER ACFT TO TAXI TO RWY XY FOR DEPS; SO IT IS EVIDENT THAT OTHER ACFT; UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TWR; WERE STILL USING THE SAME RWY THAT THE CREW HAD JUST USED FOR LNDG. HEARING THE OTHER ACFT TAXIING OUT TO RWY XY THE CREW ASSUMED THAT RWY WAS BEING USED FOR DEP AND SET THAT UP IN THE FMS. ABOUT 40 MINS LATER; WHEN THE CREW CALLED TO TAXI; THE RWY WAS CHANGED TO XZ FOR DEP. APPARENTLY RWY XX AND XY WERE NOT BEING USED ANYMORE. THE NEXT DAY; MR Y WAS CONTACTED BY THE FAA AND INTERROGATED ON THESE EVENTS BECAUSE THE ARPT MGR MADE A FALSE CLAIM THAT ACFT X LANDED ON RWY XX WHEN IT WAS CLOSED AND WHILE MEN AND EQUIP WERE ON THE RWY. THESE ACCUSATIONS ARE FALSE AND AT NO TIME DURING THE APCH OR LNDG PHASE WERE THERE ANY MEN OR EQUIP ON THE RWY NOR WERE THERE ANY CLR INDICATIONS THAT THE RWY HAD ALREADY BEEN CLOSED.

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.