Landed on closed airport.

Attributes
ACN	117708
Time
Date	198907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pka
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	117708
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I departed bethel airport at xa to carry a load of mail to pka. The dispatcher had checked with our agent there and I didn't check the WX since it is only about 5 mi away from bethel. I flew over the airport and noticed 2 or 3 active bulldozers off the runway on the north end. I made left traffic, but instead of landing, I paralleled the runway about 75' off the ground, inspecting the runway and looking for X's on the end. I didn't notice any X's, so I made left traffic again and landed on runway 1. While taxiing on the runway, the ground got progressively softer, so I shut down on the runway and unloaded my load on the shoulder where I was met by our agent. At this time I was informed by the crews of the bulldozer that the runway was closed. They stated they had asked the department of transportation if they needed to 'X'-off the runway and according to them, a NOTAM was only necessary. We then turned the airplane around and I departed on runway 19. I checked NOTAMS when we returned and indeed the airport was notamed closed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANDED ON CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED BETHEL ARPT AT XA TO CARRY A LOAD OF MAIL TO PKA. THE DISPATCHER HAD CHKED WITH OUR AGENT THERE AND I DIDN'T CHK THE WX SINCE IT IS ONLY ABOUT 5 MI AWAY FROM BETHEL. I FLEW OVER THE ARPT AND NOTICED 2 OR 3 ACTIVE BULLDOZERS OFF THE RWY ON THE N END. I MADE LEFT TFC, BUT INSTEAD OF LNDG, I PARALLELED THE RWY ABOUT 75' OFF THE GND, INSPECTING THE RWY AND LOOKING FOR X'S ON THE END. I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY X'S, SO I MADE LEFT TFC AGAIN AND LANDED ON RWY 1. WHILE TAXIING ON THE RWY, THE GND GOT PROGRESSIVELY SOFTER, SO I SHUT DOWN ON THE RWY AND UNLOADED MY LOAD ON THE SHOULDER WHERE I WAS MET BY OUR AGENT. AT THIS TIME I WAS INFORMED BY THE CREWS OF THE BULLDOZER THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THEY STATED THEY HAD ASKED THE DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION IF THEY NEEDED TO 'X'-OFF THE RWY AND ACCORDING TO THEM, A NOTAM WAS ONLY NECESSARY. WE THEN TURNED THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND I DEPARTED ON RWY 19. I CHKED NOTAMS WHEN WE RETURNED AND INDEED THE ARPT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED.

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.