Narrative:

I was asked by an eaa member to fly my small aircraft X to the stennis airport for display because there were not enough show planes there. In the morning the WX was below minimums, but after lunch the WX improved, so I decided to fly small aircraft X with my brother as pas, but I decided to have him take small aircraft Y to the show and leave it at stennis for sun's show--also with full knowledge that he had no current medical certificate. As soon as we were airborne I contacted stennis tower (temporary) with the following transmission: 'stennis tower, small aircraft X party of 2 en route to stennis.' stennis tower responded with: 'small aircraft X report 5 mi out.' we flew approximately 7 mi more and I contacted stennis tower with the transmission: 'stennis tower, small aircraft X 5 mi out landing stennis.' the tower responded with: 'small aircraft X stennis airport closed, but nothing going on.' I continued on with my brother following behind. About 4 mins later stennis asked for our location and I responded with: '1 mi out.' stennis responded with: 'land at your own discretion.' I reported right base and landed. As I was taxiing in the tower advised eaa that we had 2 cubs for display. We were led to the display area. As we were parking a man wearing a name tag approached and for approximately 30 mins began telling me about the regulations I had broken. He later idented himself as an FAA inspector of jackson, ms. Inspector asked me to identify the other small aircraft Y pilot which I declined to do at the time. Inspector grounded small aircraft X because the airworthiness certificate had been misplaced. I was told to get the certificate and present it to him and I could fly small aircraft X home. I took the certificate to inspector the next day and flew the plane home. I would appreciate any help that your organization could give me concerning this matter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated he feels the tower operator led him down the path by not telling him airport closed earlier and advising him twice to call as he was closer to the airport. Felt when told to land at his discretion this meant he could land on any runway. Counseled that when told airport closed that is it and cannot land. Also counseled to advise brother illegal to fly west/O medical or biennial which he admitted he knew. Said had letter FAA investigating over month ago but nothing since. Feels eaa, since they delayed air show for his arrival, should have coordinated with FAA to allow airport to be opened for his arrival. The ATC handbook says tower controller will advise 3 times that airport closed, which was not done in this case. Supplemental information from acn 97201: my brother didn't come over to where I was parked so I felt that there might be a problem with our arrival. I did not have a current physical or biennial so I felt it would be best for all concerned to leave the air show.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 GA SMA LANDED AT CLOSED ARPT. PLT OF ONE WAS FLYING WITH EXPIRED MEDICAL AND FLT CHECK.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED BY AN EAA MEMBER TO FLY MY SMA X TO THE STENNIS ARPT FOR DISPLAY BECAUSE THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH SHOW PLANES THERE. IN THE MORNING THE WX WAS BELOW MINIMUMS, BUT AFTER LUNCH THE WX IMPROVED, SO I DECIDED TO FLY SMA X WITH MY BROTHER AS PAS, BUT I DECIDED TO HAVE HIM TAKE SMA Y TO THE SHOW AND LEAVE IT AT STENNIS FOR SUN'S SHOW--ALSO WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAD NO CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. AS SOON AS WE WERE AIRBORNE I CONTACTED STENNIS TWR (TEMPORARY) WITH THE FOLLOWING XMISSION: 'STENNIS TWR, SMA X PARTY OF 2 ENRTE TO STENNIS.' STENNIS TWR RESPONDED WITH: 'SMA X RPT 5 MI OUT.' WE FLEW APPROX 7 MI MORE AND I CONTACTED STENNIS TWR WITH THE XMISSION: 'STENNIS TWR, SMA X 5 MI OUT LNDG STENNIS.' THE TWR RESPONDED WITH: 'SMA X STENNIS ARPT CLOSED, BUT NOTHING GOING ON.' I CONTINUED ON WITH MY BROTHER FOLLOWING BEHIND. ABOUT 4 MINS LATER STENNIS ASKED FOR OUR LOCATION AND I RESPONDED WITH: '1 MI OUT.' STENNIS RESPONDED WITH: 'LAND AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.' I RPTED RIGHT BASE AND LANDED. AS I WAS TAXIING IN THE TWR ADVISED EAA THAT WE HAD 2 CUBS FOR DISPLAY. WE WERE LED TO THE DISPLAY AREA. AS WE WERE PARKING A MAN WEARING A NAME TAG APCHED AND FOR APPROX 30 MINS BEGAN TELLING ME ABOUT THE REGS I HAD BROKEN. HE LATER IDENTED HIMSELF AS AN FAA INSPECTOR OF JACKSON, MS. INSPECTOR ASKED ME TO IDENT THE OTHER SMA Y PLT WHICH I DECLINED TO DO AT THE TIME. INSPECTOR GNDED SMA X BECAUSE THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE HAD BEEN MISPLACED. I WAS TOLD TO GET THE CERTIFICATE AND PRESENT IT TO HIM AND I COULD FLY SMA X HOME. I TOOK THE CERTIFICATE TO INSPECTOR THE NEXT DAY AND FLEW THE PLANE HOME. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION COULD GIVE ME CONCERNING THIS MATTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED HE FEELS THE TWR OPERATOR LED HIM DOWN THE PATH BY NOT TELLING HIM ARPT CLOSED EARLIER AND ADVISING HIM TWICE TO CALL AS HE WAS CLOSER TO THE ARPT. FELT WHEN TOLD TO LAND AT HIS DISCRETION THIS MEANT HE COULD LAND ON ANY RWY. COUNSELED THAT WHEN TOLD ARPT CLOSED THAT IS IT AND CANNOT LAND. ALSO COUNSELED TO ADVISE BROTHER ILLEGAL TO FLY W/O MEDICAL OR BIENNIAL WHICH HE ADMITTED HE KNEW. SAID HAD LETTER FAA INVESTIGATING OVER MONTH AGO BUT NOTHING SINCE. FEELS EAA, SINCE THEY DELAYED AIR SHOW FOR HIS ARR, SHOULD HAVE COORDINATED WITH FAA TO ALLOW ARPT TO BE OPENED FOR HIS ARR. THE ATC HANDBOOK SAYS TWR CTLR WILL ADVISE 3 TIMES THAT ARPT CLOSED, WHICH WAS NOT DONE IN THIS CASE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 97201: MY BROTHER DIDN'T COME OVER TO WHERE I WAS PARKED SO I FELT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PROB WITH OUR ARR. I DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT PHYSICAL OR BIENNIAL SO I FELT IT WOULD BE BEST FOR ALL CONCERNED TO LEAVE THE AIR SHOW.

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.