Narrative:

I often fly an hour locally before or after work to keep in practice. Like most pilots, I don't call FSS if the WX is good and I'm not leaving the local area. Siy is an uncontrolled field, and while there is a unicom frequency, it is rarely answered. I broadcast my intentions before departing and took off on runway 35. I noticed some dirt or sand on the runway, but the land adjacent to the strip is being cultivated and I thought they might have tracked it onto the runway which was smooth. When I returned, it was twilight and I was unable to activate the pilot-controled lighting. After several attempts at activating the lights, I made an uneventful landing and put the aircraft away. When I reported the lights not working the next day, I was told the airport was closed to work on the runway! No doubt FSS had a NOTAM on this, but the runway was no 'X'ed' off and there were no signs of any sort stating that work was in progress. Common sense would dictate some indication in the hangar area or on the taxiway that the runway was closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNATTENDED, UNCONTROLLED ARPT. PVT PLT TOOK OFF AND LANDED UNAWARE THAT ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION.

Narrative: I OFTEN FLY AN HR LOCALLY BEFORE OR AFTER WORK TO KEEP IN PRACTICE. LIKE MOST PLTS, I DON'T CALL FSS IF THE WX IS GOOD AND I'M NOT LEAVING THE LCL AREA. SIY IS AN UNCTLED FIELD, AND WHILE THERE IS A UNICOM FREQ, IT IS RARELY ANSWERED. I BROADCAST MY INTENTIONS BEFORE DEPARTING AND TOOK OFF ON RWY 35. I NOTICED SOME DIRT OR SAND ON THE RWY, BUT THE LAND ADJACENT TO THE STRIP IS BEING CULTIVATED AND I THOUGHT THEY MIGHT HAVE TRACKED IT ONTO THE RWY WHICH WAS SMOOTH. WHEN I RETURNED, IT WAS TWILIGHT AND I WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE PLT-CTLED LIGHTING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT ACTIVATING THE LIGHTS, I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND PUT THE ACFT AWAY. WHEN I RPTED THE LIGHTS NOT WORKING THE NEXT DAY, I WAS TOLD THE ARPT WAS CLOSED TO WORK ON THE RWY! NO DOUBT FSS HAD A NOTAM ON THIS, BUT THE RWY WAS NO 'X'ED' OFF AND THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ANY SORT STATING THAT WORK WAS IN PROGRESS. COMMON SENSE WOULD DICTATE SOME INDICATION IN THE HANGAR AREA OR ON THE TXWY THAT THE RWY WAS 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.