Narrative:

Flight scheduled to depart pit at XD15 and arrive duj XE00. First officer checked WX at XD10. Flight departed pit and en route to duj approximately 25 NM from duj was informed that west 2500' of runway 25 closed. That left approximately 2500' remaining. According to aircraft performance data (far 25) that was not sufficient runway. In reality, it was plenty of runway to land safely. I informed center that we would continue towards duj and I would have company talk to the airport authority about opening the runway. We were not required to have an alternate, therefore, we had minimum IFR fuel on board. Company informed us that the airport authority would not open the closed section of the runway for us. By now, we are over the airport. Fuel on board, 45 mins maximum. I elected to land on the available runway. Landing uneventful, but the workers had their pickup trucks parked on the runway in the closed area right at the end of the usable runway and were putting tar in the cracks in the runway. After landing, and deplaning the passenger, I asked the FSS personnel what time the NOTAM was issued. The NOTAM was issued at XD10 local time. As a rule, we check NOTAMS for the airports we will be using at the beginning of our shift (XA30). I feel that even if the first officer would have asked for NOTAMS when he checked the WX in pit, the NOTAM would not have shown up. The airport authority knew early that morning that the runway would be closed for routine maintenance but waited until they began the work to close the runway. Why not issue the NOTAM earlier? Duj is a 1 runway airport and also our company's base of operations. I would think that the authority could have notified company about the intended runway closure and had our dispatch alert the crews. Finally, those pickup trucks that were parked on the runway moved immediately after we cleared the runway. Why did they park them there? To keep us from entering the closed section is my guess. I would think that they could put something a little less damaging to an aircraft at the closed end of a runway than a pickup truck. At noon, the workers went to lunch and the authority opened the runway full length. Flight departed duj to pit 10 mins late. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter stated that they were 'fuel critical' and that he could not return to pit. He said that he considered clarion, but decided against it. He said he did not declare an emergency because the remaining runway at duj was long enough. When asked, he said that he has been there since 1979 and his carrier has had an ongoing problem with a certain person who is an employee of the airport manager. He said that this person acts as if he was spending his own money when asked to sand or spread urea on the runway. Reporter added that his part 135 carrier has no dispatch function and could not advise them of the runway closure. In fact, they were not even aware of it. He said he has heard nothing more re: this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT LANDED ON A PARTIALLY CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: FLT SCHEDULED TO DEPART PIT AT XD15 AND ARRIVE DUJ XE00. F/O CHKED WX AT XD10. FLT DEPARTED PIT AND ENRTE TO DUJ APPROX 25 NM FROM DUJ WAS INFORMED THAT W 2500' OF RWY 25 CLOSED. THAT LEFT APPROX 2500' REMAINING. ACCORDING TO ACFT PERFORMANCE DATA (FAR 25) THAT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT RWY. IN REALITY, IT WAS PLENTY OF RWY TO LAND SAFELY. I INFORMED CENTER THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TOWARDS DUJ AND I WOULD HAVE COMPANY TALK TO THE ARPT AUTHORITY ABOUT OPENING THE RWY. WE WERE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ALTERNATE, THEREFORE, WE HAD MINIMUM IFR FUEL ON BOARD. COMPANY INFORMED US THAT THE ARPT AUTHORITY WOULD NOT OPEN THE CLOSED SECTION OF THE RWY FOR US. BY NOW, WE ARE OVER THE ARPT. FUEL ON BOARD, 45 MINS MAX. I ELECTED TO LAND ON THE AVAILABLE RWY. LNDG UNEVENTFUL, BUT THE WORKERS HAD THEIR PICKUP TRUCKS PARKED ON THE RWY IN THE CLOSED AREA RIGHT AT THE END OF THE USABLE RWY AND WERE PUTTING TAR IN THE CRACKS IN THE RWY. AFTER LNDG, AND DEPLANING THE PAX, I ASKED THE FSS PERSONNEL WHAT TIME THE NOTAM WAS ISSUED. THE NOTAM WAS ISSUED AT XD10 LCL TIME. AS A RULE, WE CHK NOTAMS FOR THE ARPTS WE WILL BE USING AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR SHIFT (XA30). I FEEL THAT EVEN IF THE F/O WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR NOTAMS WHEN HE CHKED THE WX IN PIT, THE NOTAM WOULD NOT HAVE SHOWN UP. THE ARPT AUTHORITY KNEW EARLY THAT MORNING THAT THE RWY WOULD BE CLOSED FOR ROUTINE MAINT BUT WAITED UNTIL THEY BEGAN THE WORK TO CLOSE THE RWY. WHY NOT ISSUE THE NOTAM EARLIER? DUJ IS A 1 RWY ARPT AND ALSO OUR COMPANY'S BASE OF OPS. I WOULD THINK THAT THE AUTHORITY COULD HAVE NOTIFIED COMPANY ABOUT THE INTENDED RWY CLOSURE AND HAD OUR DISPATCH ALERT THE CREWS. FINALLY, THOSE PICKUP TRUCKS THAT WERE PARKED ON THE RWY MOVED IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE CLRED THE RWY. WHY DID THEY PARK THEM THERE? TO KEEP US FROM ENTERING THE CLOSED SECTION IS MY GUESS. I WOULD THINK THAT THEY COULD PUT SOMETHING A LITTLE LESS DAMAGING TO AN ACFT AT THE CLOSED END OF A RWY THAN A PICKUP TRUCK. AT NOON, THE WORKERS WENT TO LUNCH AND THE AUTHORITY OPENED THE RWY FULL LENGTH. FLT DEPARTED DUJ TO PIT 10 MINS LATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY WERE 'FUEL CRITICAL' AND THAT HE COULD NOT RETURN TO PIT. HE SAID THAT HE CONSIDERED CLARION, BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT. HE SAID HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE THE REMAINING RWY AT DUJ WAS LONG ENOUGH. WHEN ASKED, HE SAID THAT HE HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1979 AND HIS CARRIER HAS HAD AN ONGOING PROB WITH A CERTAIN PERSON WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE ARPT MGR. HE SAID THAT THIS PERSON ACTS AS IF HE WAS SPENDING HIS OWN MONEY WHEN ASKED TO SAND OR SPREAD UREA ON THE RWY. RPTR ADDED THAT HIS PART 135 CARRIER HAS NO DISPATCH FUNCTION AND COULD NOT ADVISE THEM OF THE RWY CLOSURE. IN FACT, THEY WERE NOT EVEN AWARE OF IT. HE SAID HE HAS HEARD NOTHING MORE RE: THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.