Narrative:

Departed molokai airport wbound to hnl at 3000', obtained ATIS information. It had 26L closed. Prior to contacting approach control, checked ATIS for an update. Unable to obtain ATIS. Contacted approach control for clrncs into TCA. I was given east arrival H-1. At kokohead was put in holding for approximately 5 mins, then cleared on in and contacted tower at diamond head. At diamond head I was asked to make 360 degree turn to right. Upon completion of turn I was cleared to land 22L. Started descent to left base, was asked to do another turn to the right, stated I had to go back up to 2000' to do that and did so. Half way through the turn was cleared into land. I proceeded in and landed on 22L. On clearing the runway was asked to call tower. On calling the tower by phone, I was asked (rather rudely) if I knew 22L was closed. I told her that I was cleared to land 22L and that the ATIS had 26L closed. She said that was being taken care of and didn't I see the men and equipment along the runway. I told her not until turning off at east taxiway due to the sun's glare on the windshield. She stated that they were checking the tapes and that they would get back to me. At no time was I notified that 22L was closed by approach or tower, until calling tower on phone. Contributing factors were peak traffic hour, landing into the sun with the sun on the horizon, frequency congestion, error on ATIS, etc. I feel that somewhere in the approach in tower system that an error in the ATIS should be called to the pilot's attention when calling in navigation ATIS to approach or at least on contact with tower. I am not trying to establish the error was the fault of myself, approach control nor the tower. More that it was the workload, timing and sequences of events that led up to the inadvertent landing on 22L. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter had talked to ATC tower supervisor later that night and revealed there had been miscom from the ATC tower controller that pilot had read back runway 22. There was no cross on the runway to indicate it was closed and men and equipment were not on runway but off to the side. Supervisor stated there would be no further action on incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT LNDG ON RWY THAT WAS CLOSED.

Narrative: DEPARTED MOLOKAI ARPT WBOUND TO HNL AT 3000', OBTAINED ATIS INFO. IT HAD 26L CLOSED. PRIOR TO CONTACTING APCH CTL, CHKED ATIS FOR AN UPDATE. UNABLE TO OBTAIN ATIS. CONTACTED APCH CTL FOR CLRNCS INTO TCA. I WAS GIVEN E ARR H-1. AT KOKOHEAD WAS PUT IN HOLDING FOR APPROX 5 MINS, THEN CLRED ON IN AND CONTACTED TWR AT DIAMOND HEAD. AT DIAMOND HEAD I WAS ASKED TO MAKE 360 DEG TURN TO RIGHT. UPON COMPLETION OF TURN I WAS CLRED TO LAND 22L. STARTED DSCNT TO LEFT BASE, WAS ASKED TO DO ANOTHER TURN TO THE RIGHT, STATED I HAD TO GO BACK UP TO 2000' TO DO THAT AND DID SO. HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN WAS CLRED INTO LAND. I PROCEEDED IN AND LANDED ON 22L. ON CLRING THE RWY WAS ASKED TO CALL TWR. ON CALLING THE TWR BY PHONE, I WAS ASKED (RATHER RUDELY) IF I KNEW 22L WAS CLOSED. I TOLD HER THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND 22L AND THAT THE ATIS HAD 26L CLOSED. SHE SAID THAT WAS BEING TAKEN CARE OF AND DIDN'T I SEE THE MEN AND EQUIP ALONG THE RWY. I TOLD HER NOT UNTIL TURNING OFF AT E TXWY DUE TO THE SUN'S GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD. SHE STATED THAT THEY WERE CHKING THE TAPES AND THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. AT NO TIME WAS I NOTIFIED THAT 22L WAS CLOSED BY APCH OR TWR, UNTIL CALLING TWR ON PHONE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE PEAK TFC HR, LNDG INTO THE SUN WITH THE SUN ON THE HORIZON, FREQ CONGESTION, ERROR ON ATIS, ETC. I FEEL THAT SOMEWHERE IN THE APCH IN TWR SYS THAT AN ERROR IN THE ATIS SHOULD BE CALLED TO THE PLT'S ATTN WHEN CALLING IN NAV ATIS TO APCH OR AT LEAST ON CONTACT WITH TWR. I AM NOT TRYING TO ESTABLISH THE ERROR WAS THE FAULT OF MYSELF, APCH CTL NOR THE TWR. MORE THAT IT WAS THE WORKLOAD, TIMING AND SEQUENCES OF EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE INADVERTENT LNDG ON 22L. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAD TALKED TO ATC TWR SUPVR LATER THAT NIGHT AND REVEALED THERE HAD BEEN MISCOM FROM THE ATC TWR CTLR THAT PLT HAD READ BACK RWY 22. THERE WAS NO CROSS ON THE RWY TO INDICATE IT WAS CLOSED AND MEN AND EQUIP WERE NOT ON RWY BUT OFF TO THE SIDE. SUPVR STATED THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER ACTION ON 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.