Instructor pilot of small aircraft landed at closed airport.

Attributes
ACN	156669
Time
Date	199009
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1q7
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	156669
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

During a training flight (actually a flight to a maintenance facility in tulare) my student indicated that we needed to go to 'tulare municipal' (none exists) to have his aircraft reweighed. Using my flight facs directory I found that tulare gallaher was a possibility. We were unsure what was meant by 'tulare municipal'. The flight went smoothly. We located the airport and flew over it noting the runway headings to verify that this was our airport. Noting nothing irregular at the field I had my student set up a left hand pattern to land on runway 36. Because of the conditions of the runway (as noted in a/F directory), I took the landing. I noticed the poor runway and markings but deemed it safe. The landing was uneventful; however, as we rolled further down the runway I noticed a poorly painted white 'X' denoting a closed runway. I was upset with myself for not seeing the 'X's' from the air. I was also not happy with the fact that the a/F directory mentioned nothing about the runway being closed for over a yr. Why wouldn't the a/F directory make any note of this? I needless to say made a speedy but safe departure. After departing I decided to fly over the airport and survey the runway markings. Sure enough, the X's were there, but they were apparently displaced from the beginning of the runway ends. Lesson learned. Look closer before landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT OF SMA LANDED AT CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: DURING A TRNING FLT (ACTUALLY A FLT TO A MAINT FAC IN TULARE) MY STUDENT INDICATED THAT WE NEEDED TO GO TO 'TULARE MUNI' (NONE EXISTS) TO HAVE HIS ACFT REWEIGHED. USING MY FLT FACS DIRECTORY I FOUND THAT TULARE GALLAHER WAS A POSSIBILITY. WE WERE UNSURE WHAT WAS MEANT BY 'TULARE MUNI'. THE FLT WENT SMOOTHLY. WE LOCATED THE ARPT AND FLEW OVER IT NOTING THE RWY HDGS TO VERIFY THAT THIS WAS OUR ARPT. NOTING NOTHING IRREGULAR AT THE FIELD I HAD MY STUDENT SET UP A L HAND PATTERN TO LAND ON RWY 36. BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE RWY (AS NOTED IN A/F DIRECTORY), I TOOK THE LNDG. I NOTICED THE POOR RWY AND MARKINGS BUT DEEMED IT SAFE. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; HOWEVER, AS WE ROLLED FURTHER DOWN THE RWY I NOTICED A POORLY PAINTED WHITE 'X' DENOTING A CLOSED RWY. I WAS UPSET WITH MYSELF FOR NOT SEEING THE 'X'S' FROM THE AIR. I WAS ALSO NOT HAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT THE A/F DIRECTORY MENTIONED NOTHING ABOUT THE RWY BEING CLOSED FOR OVER A YR. WHY WOULDN'T THE A/F DIRECTORY MAKE ANY NOTE OF THIS? I NEEDLESS TO SAY MADE A SPEEDY BUT SAFE DEP. AFTER DEPARTING I DECIDED TO FLY OVER THE ARPT AND SURVEY THE RWY MARKINGS. SURE ENOUGH, THE X'S WERE THERE, BUT THEY WERE APPARENTLY DISPLACED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE RWY ENDS. LESSON LEARNED. LOOK CLOSER BEFORE LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.