BE10 pilot reports landing on closed runway due to NOTAM not being available from commercial flight ...

Attributes
ACN	811638
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	King Air 100 A/B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 81 flight time total : 4833 flight time type : 1256
ASRS Report	811638
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : airport manager
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Got the call around XA00 to reposition our king air 100 to ZZZ for an ambulance flight. Arrived at the airport; checked WX; did weight and balance and filed two IFR plans on commercial web site. I've gotten in the habit of doing this since I've had FSS drop so many of my flight plans. On the WX page under NOTAMS; it had two for ZZZ2 but didn't list any for ZZZ. Since there was a blizzard two days earlier I called the police department and requested they check to see if runway was clear. I waited 15 minutes and called them back. The dispatcher's response was that they were busy; and she'd call when she knew. At this point; I had kept the medical crew and the hospital waiting. I made the decision to take off and get headed there while I had someone wait for the phone call in the office. My plan B was ZZZ1; which added about 40 minutes of ground time for the ambulance but is something we have done before. I lifted off at XA44 and headed for ZZZ. Five minutes before I got to ZZZ I received a text stating the runway had not been cleared. I had already cancelled my IFR since it was clear at ZZZ so I decided to make a low pass over the runway to see how it looked. I knew at this point the ground ambulance was almost to ZZZ so to now go to ZZZ1 would add another hour before our team could get to the patient. On my low pass the surface of the runway was all white but no drifting anywhere. I made another pass from the other direction and decided to land. Landed with no problems and taxied in to the ramp and shut down. This was a part 91 reposition flight into ZZZ. The airport manager showed up and told me he had notamed the runway closed. While the ground ambulance was gone the airport manager and I cleared off the middle 20 ft of the runway. I got his verbal permission to depart and I did so with no problems. The mistake I made was not checking NOTAMS more thoroughly. Had I called FSS and gotten them from him I would have flown to ZZZ1.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE10 PILOT REPORTS LANDING ON CLOSED RWY DUE TO NOTAM NOT BEING AVAILABLE FROM COMMERCIAL FLIGHT PLANNING SERVICE. PILOT REPORTS POOR SERVICE FROM FSS AS THE REASON FOR USING THIS SERVICE.

Narrative: GOT THE CALL AROUND XA00 TO REPOSITION OUR KING AIR 100 TO ZZZ FOR AN AMBULANCE FLT. ARRIVED AT THE ARPT; CHECKED WX; DID WT AND BALANCE AND FILED TWO IFR PLANS ON COMMERCIAL WEB SITE. I'VE GOTTEN IN THE HABIT OF DOING THIS SINCE I'VE HAD FSS DROP SO MANY OF MY FLT PLANS. ON THE WX PAGE UNDER NOTAMS; IT HAD TWO FOR ZZZ2 BUT DIDN'T LIST ANY FOR ZZZ. SINCE THERE WAS A BLIZZARD TWO DAYS EARLIER I CALLED THE POLICE DEPT AND REQUESTED THEY CHECK TO SEE IF RWY WAS CLEAR. I WAITED 15 MINUTES AND CALLED THEM BACK. THE DISPATCHER'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE BUSY; AND SHE'D CALL WHEN SHE KNEW. AT THIS POINT; I HAD KEPT THE MEDICAL CREW AND THE HOSPITAL WAITING. I MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE OFF AND GET HEADED THERE WHILE I HAD SOMEONE WAIT FOR THE PHONE CALL IN THE OFFICE. MY PLAN B WAS ZZZ1; WHICH ADDED ABOUT 40 MINUTES OF GROUND TIME FOR THE AMBULANCE BUT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE DONE BEFORE. I LIFTED OFF AT XA44 AND HEADED FOR ZZZ. FIVE MINUTES BEFORE I GOT TO ZZZ I RECEIVED A TEXT STATING THE RWY HAD NOT BEEN CLEARED. I HAD ALREADY CANCELLED MY IFR SINCE IT WAS CLEAR AT ZZZ SO I DECIDED TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER THE RWY TO SEE HOW IT LOOKED. I KNEW AT THIS POINT THE GROUND AMBULANCE WAS ALMOST TO ZZZ SO TO NOW GO TO ZZZ1 WOULD ADD ANOTHER HOUR BEFORE OUR TEAM COULD GET TO THE PATIENT. ON MY LOW PASS THE SURFACE OF THE RWY WAS ALL WHITE BUT NO DRIFTING ANYWHERE. I MADE ANOTHER PASS FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION AND DECIDED TO LAND. LANDED WITH NO PROBLEMS AND TAXIED IN TO THE RAMP AND SHUT DOWN. THIS WAS A PART 91 REPOSITION FLT INTO ZZZ. THE ARPT MANAGER SHOWED UP AND TOLD ME HE HAD NOTAMED THE RWY CLOSED. WHILE THE GROUND AMBULANCE WAS GONE THE ARPT MANAGER AND I CLEARED OFF THE MIDDLE 20 FT OF THE RWY. I GOT HIS VERBAL PERMISSION TO DEPART AND I DID SO WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE MISTAKE I MADE WAS NOT CHECKING NOTAMS MORE THOROUGHLY. HAD I CALLED FSS AND GOTTEN THEM FROM HIM I WOULD HAVE FLOWN TO ZZZ1.

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.

BE10 pilot reports landing on closed runway due to NOTAM not being available from commercial flight planning service. Pilot reports poor service from FSS as the reason for using this service.