 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
BE35 pilot reports landing at 16W and discovering after the fact that it may be a seasonally closed airport although no NOTAM's indicated that it was.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 976112 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201110 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | 16W.Airport |
| State Reference | WA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Bonanza 35 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Landing |
| Route In Use | Visual Approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Single Pilot |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20 Flight Crew Total 525 Flight Crew Type 25 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Ground Incursion Runway |
Narrative:
I unknowingly landed on a seasonally closed runway. The runway is in starbuck; wa (16W); a wa state DOT maintained airstrip. I decided to take a flight on a nice afternoon; for scenic purposes. I called for a preflight briefing that morning before I went. I received a standard briefing. I called back about an hour before departure time; for an updated briefing. Neither of those briefings noted anything but a nice VFR flight route. We went over tfr's; NOTAMS; airmets; etc. Most of the briefer's will look at NOTAMS at other airports along the route of flight; which starbuck (16W) is definitely along the route of flight; and advise you of any published NOTAMS. There were none. I took off and decided to land at the starbuck (16W) airstrip. I made the appropriate radio calls to the unicom; and announced my landing intentions. I landed without incident then took off and returned home. Upon speaking to another pilot friend that evening; he mentioned that he believed the airstrip (16W) was closed starting october 1st. I was shocked. I immediately called flight service/weather brief and asked them to review NOTAMS regarding 16W. They said the only NOTAM was regarding tall wind towers in the vicinity; nothing about a closed runway. I was confused; because there were no NOTAMS; nor were there the standard 'X' markings on the end of the runway's indicating a closure. After the fact; I did learn that the airport facility directory (which you're not required to have with you in flight) does list the annual closure from october 1st until june 1st each year; as well as the wa state DOT aviation website. I did what I was required to do. I checked NOTAMS; and I overflew the runway; and there were no 'X' markings indicating a closure. I made my radio calls and landed. The state DOT website states: 'note: runway 07/25 will be closed for maintenance. Please check NOTAM's. Prior permission to land may be granted by calling airport manager.' I saw this after the fact; when I went to the wa DOT website that evening to see if the runway was really closed. My interpretation of that is two things: 1st; it makes it sound like the runway is only closed for one day. 2nd; it says to check the NOTAMS; which I did; and there were none regarding the airport whatsoever; let alone a runway closure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BE35 pilot reports landing at 16W and discovering after the fact that it may be a seasonally closed airport although no NOTAM's indicated that it was.
Narrative: I unknowingly landed on a seasonally closed runway. The runway is in Starbuck; WA (16W); a WA State DOT maintained airstrip. I decided to take a flight on a nice afternoon; for scenic purposes. I called for a preflight briefing that morning before I went. I received a standard briefing. I called back about an hour before departure time; for an updated briefing. Neither of those briefings noted anything but a nice VFR flight route. We went over TFR's; NOTAMS; AIRMETS; etc. Most of the briefer's will look at NOTAMS at other airports along the route of flight; which Starbuck (16W) is definitely along the route of flight; and advise you of any published NOTAMS. There were none. I took off and decided to land at the Starbuck (16W) airstrip. I made the appropriate radio calls to the UNICOM; and announced my landing intentions. I landed without incident then took off and returned home. Upon speaking to another pilot friend that evening; he mentioned that he believed the airstrip (16W) was closed starting October 1st. I was shocked. I immediately called flight service/weather brief and asked them to review NOTAMS regarding 16W. They said the only NOTAM was regarding tall wind towers in the vicinity; nothing about a closed runway. I was confused; because there were no NOTAMS; nor were there the standard 'X' markings on the end of the runway's indicating a closure. After the fact; I did learn that the Airport Facility Directory (which you're not required to have with you in flight) does list the annual closure from October 1st until June 1st each year; as well as the WA State DOT Aviation Website. I did what I was required to do. I checked NOTAMS; and I overflew the runway; and there were no 'X' markings indicating a closure. I made my radio calls and landed. The State DOT website states: 'NOTE: Runway 07/25 will be closed for maintenance. Please check NOTAM's. Prior permission to land may be granted by calling Airport Manager.' I saw this after the fact; when I went to the WA DOT website that evening to see if the runway was really closed. My interpretation of that is two things: 1st; it makes it sound like the runway is only closed for one day. 2nd; it says to check the NOTAMS; which I did; and there were none regarding the airport whatsoever; let alone a runway closure.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.