"Your destination airport is NOTAM'ed closed. State intentions."

narchee

narchee

Line Up and Wait
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Long Blinker
:redface:

I had this interesting statement made to me by ATC. Nothing happened but strictly speaking could I be written up for not reading the NOTAMs beforehand? I did look at them but somehow missed the part where the runway was closed. The only runway. :mad2:
 
This happened to me 1/2 way into a 3 hour flight. It was NOT NOTAM'ed when I took off. There was a shift in when the construction crew could work on the runway. They showed up unexpectedly...bam! the runway is closed.

The airport manager told me to just go ahead and land on the runway...
I opted for one 30 minutes away.
 
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You did nothing wrong unless you landed on the runway when closed. ATC informed you and the system worked like it was supposed to. I would be surprised if it went any further than that.

I can't tell you how many times this happened when we had the runway closed temporarily the last two summers for construction, but with regular NOTAMs. Not only would you hear people enter the pattern and turn final before we could warn them over the radio that it was closed, but I was shocked listening to the overlying ARTCC when they'd ask, "Do you have the local weather and NOTAMs at BGF?" and they'd respond that they did...still asking for an approach. I think what shocked me even more was that it wasn't just one particular set of offenders...everyone from short distance (local) flights to long distance (transient) flights.

Now, that being said, with the massive amount of information that is available to pilots these days, I can see how a pilot could miss something like this. It just blew my mind how often it happened when I could watch it every day. I would bet that in the future you won't miss it though ;)
 
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Here's an exception to the rules. Lake Hood is routinely closed because the surface doesn't meet the requirements for being open. In those time the lake is NOTAM closed but pilots can opt to use it at our own risk. If a controller asks a pilot for his intentions here he's prompting the pilot to declare operations at his own risk. Once we say that everybody understands each other and everybody's happy.
 
I got you beat.

A friend and I actually landed at an airport that was NOTAM'd closed.
Fortunately there was a guy from the FSDO there that ramp checked us otherwise we might not have learned our lesson.

I wasn't PIC but he was sweating bullets.

That right there will teach you to get all the information about the flight.
I call FSS prior to every flight for weather but also to make sure I get the NOTAMS from a 2nd source.
 
narchee said:
:redface:

I had this interesting statement made to me by ATC. Nothing happened but strictly speaking could I be written up for not reading the NOTAMs beforehand? I did look at them but somehow missed the part where the runway was closed. The only runway. :mad2:
Click to expand...

Nah, no big deal, but this is one of the reasons I still call for my briefing even if I have looked online.
 
Henning said:
Nah, no big deal, but this is one of the reasons I still call for my briefing even if I have looked online.
Click to expand...

I do the same, asking at least about TFR's and NOTAM's affecting my route of flight and a VFR arrival into my destination.

Pretty sure that was how I found out Tallahassee Commercial (68J) had been closed - a real shame, BTW. It was very convenient to a friend's house and a common destination for me.
 
narchee said:
:redface:

I had this interesting statement made to me by ATC. Nothing happened but strictly speaking could I be written up for not reading the NOTAMs beforehand? I did look at them but somehow missed the part where the runway was closed. The only runway. :mad2:
Click to expand...

ATC is not the enforcement end of the FAA. They will report some serious mistakes, but I have yet to see them "pick nits" and call the FSDO. Don't swap paint with another plane and they are good.

Just give them a nice "Thank you for your help." when you sign off.
 
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Henning said:
Nah, no big deal, but this is one of the reasons I still call for my briefing even if I have looked online.
Click to expand...
Same. I always call 1800WXBRIEF. I like talking to another human being about weather and NOTAMS.
 
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