Narrative:

While back taxiing and entering the run-up area someone on the ground called me on the CTAF and said the airport was closed. (That person did not identify himself.) I responded that was not true; certainly not for the airport residents. (Note: airport is a small mountain private airport with public access and no support facilities at the airport of any kind. The residents and the association that we are part of are responsible for this airport and the immediate surrounding area. Activities on this airport are normally only about two takeoff and lndgs per day on average.) I had checked the NOTAMS (duats) twice before leaving and the NOTAM only indicated that fire operations (helicopter flts) were taking place on the field and did not indicate a closure of the airport. (I even checked NOTAMS the second time before leaving particularly to be alert to any possible presidential and general fire fighting tfr changes since there were many and I was making 1 hour cross country flight and I would be flying into one of the presidential tfr areas a few hours before it was active.) so I had to assume that the person that called; while I was moving on the runway preparing for takeoff; was misinterpreting the NOTAM I had reviewed. Since I had no idea of who this person was; if he had any authority over airport operations; or if he was just misinterpreting the NOTAM that I had already reviewed I felt it prudent to proceed. Additionally there was no indication of any safety issue apparent or otherwise on the ground or in the air. Further; I was well aware of the fire fighting support at the airport since I live there and I am less than 75 yards off of the runway! Additionally; the airport manager lives next door to me and I was not made aware of any pending closure from him or from anyone in the local association. And our local flight operations had not been affected to date. Indeed; at least one local flight operation took place that morning. So; I had no reason to expect any problem. Upon landing at my destination; being curious of what the heck was going on; I checked the NOTAMS again and indeed a new NOTAM was up indicating closure. So this new NOTAM was in the system (duats) sometime after I had made my review. Comments: 1. If NOTAMS are posted for an airport that may seriously affect flight operation they need to be issued in a timely manner with sufficient time to allow for latency of posting on flight services and for the time it takes to prepare for a flight after reviewing the NOTAMS. 2. If someone announces a closure to an operating aircraft they should identify themselves and their authority (airport manager; fire chief in command; air operations manager; etc;) and request appropriate action be taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT TAKES OFF FROM PRIVATE STRIP DESPITE RADIO ADVISORY FROM UNIDENTIFIED SOURCE THAT THE FIELD WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. UPON ARR AT DEST A CHECK OF NOTAMS REVEALED THE ADVISORY WAS ACCURATE.

Narrative: WHILE BACK TAXIING AND ENTERING THE RUN-UP AREA SOMEONE ON THE GND CALLED ME ON THE CTAF AND SAID THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. (THAT PERSON DID NOT IDENTIFY HIMSELF.) I RESPONDED THAT WAS NOT TRUE; CERTAINLY NOT FOR THE ARPT RESIDENTS. (NOTE: ARPT IS A SMALL MOUNTAIN PRIVATE ARPT WITH PUBLIC ACCESS AND NO SUPPORT FACILITIES AT THE ARPT OF ANY KIND. THE RESIDENTS AND THE ASSOCIATION THAT WE ARE PART OF ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ARPT AND THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING AREA. ACTIVITIES ON THIS ARPT ARE NORMALLY ONLY ABOUT TWO TAKEOFF AND LNDGS PER DAY ON AVERAGE.) I HAD CHECKED THE NOTAMS (DUATS) TWICE BEFORE LEAVING AND THE NOTAM ONLY INDICATED THAT FIRE OPERATIONS (HELICOPTER FLTS) WERE TAKING PLACE ON THE FIELD AND DID NOT INDICATE A CLOSURE OF THE ARPT. (I EVEN CHECKED NOTAMS THE SECOND TIME BEFORE LEAVING PARTICULARLY TO BE ALERT TO ANY POSSIBLE PRESIDENTIAL AND GENERAL FIRE FIGHTING TFR CHANGES SINCE THERE WERE MANY AND I WAS MAKING 1 HOUR CROSS COUNTRY FLT AND I WOULD BE FLYING INTO ONE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TFR AREAS A FEW HOURS BEFORE IT WAS ACTIVE.) SO I HAD TO ASSUME THAT THE PERSON THAT CALLED; WHILE I WAS MOVING ON THE RWY PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF; WAS MISINTERPRETING THE NOTAM I HAD REVIEWED. SINCE I HAD NO IDEA OF WHO THIS PERSON WAS; IF HE HAD ANY AUTHORITY OVER ARPT OPS; OR IF HE WAS JUST MISINTERPRETING THE NOTAM THAT I HAD ALREADY REVIEWED I FELT IT PRUDENT TO PROCEED. ADDITIONALLY THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY SAFETY ISSUE APPARENT OR OTHERWISE ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR. FURTHER; I WAS WELL AWARE OF THE FIRE FIGHTING SUPPORT AT THE ARPT SINCE I LIVE THERE AND I AM LESS THAN 75 YARDS OFF OF THE RWY! ADDITIONALLY; THE ARPT MANAGER LIVES NEXT DOOR TO ME AND I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF ANY PENDING CLOSURE FROM HIM OR FROM ANYONE IN THE LOCAL ASSOCIATION. AND OUR LOCAL FLT OPS HAD NOT BEEN AFFECTED TO DATE. INDEED; AT LEAST ONE LOCAL FLT OPERATION TOOK PLACE THAT MORNING. SO; I HAD NO REASON TO EXPECT ANY PROBLEM. UPON LNDG AT MY DESTINATION; BEING CURIOUS OF WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON; I CHECKED THE NOTAMS AGAIN AND INDEED A NEW NOTAM WAS UP INDICATING CLOSURE. SO THIS NEW NOTAM WAS IN THE SYSTEM (DUATS) SOMETIME AFTER I HAD MADE MY REVIEW. COMMENTS: 1. IF NOTAMS ARE POSTED FOR AN ARPT THAT MAY SERIOUSLY AFFECT FLT OPERATION THEY NEED TO BE ISSUED IN A TIMELY MANNER WITH SUFFICIENT TIME TO ALLOW FOR LATENCY OF POSTING ON FLT SVCS AND FOR THE TIME IT TAKES TO PREPARE FOR A FLT AFTER REVIEWING THE NOTAMS. 2. IF SOMEONE ANNOUNCES A CLOSURE TO AN OPERATING ACFT THEY SHOULD IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AND THEIR AUTHORITY (ARPT MGR; FIRE CHIEF IN COMMAND; AIR OPS MGR; ETC;) AND REQUEST APPROPRIATE ACTION BE TAKEN.

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.