Narrative:

Landed at ipt at approximately XA30 local. Tower normally closes at SB30 and field become uncontrolled. Tower then informed us that field closes at XC30. Asked what he meant by 'closes,' and he repeated that entire field would be closed. (We were filed IFR at XC30 departure.) called FSS (located on field). They had no knowledge of field closure (confusion?). At XC20 local call FSS for clearance, asked if there was any problem with SC45-50 departure and if field would be open. They said no problem with departure time and yes, the lights, etc would be left on. XC30 came and went. All airport lights--txwys, runways, beacon, etc--remained on. Several airport operations (lndgs/takeoffs) occurred after XC30 local, including an air carrier landing at approximately XC45. We proceeded to depart at XC50 local. Perceptions/judgements: it was my call that we depart based on: FSS had no knowledge (or appeared to have no knowledge) on field closure (and they are based on the field); lights/beacon left on (if it was indeed closed, they should have been turned off); after tower closure, west/O FSS notification as aircraft called in, there would be no knowledge of airport closure; and upon viewing all data at hand at time of event, the airport was indeed open and the tower had been misinformed or had the dates mixed up. I don't know the remedy, other than towers/ATC/FSS communicate in a different manner to preclude this problem. Note: we had intended on overnighting until as stated above I felt I had accurately determined the airport was indeed open. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter reiterated that the tower said the airport would be closed at XC30 and repeated it when asked again. Reporter also said that he has heard nothing further about this. He wonders if the tower could have misunderstood the question or if he could have misunderstood the answer. No NOTAM was issued.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR TOLD REPORTER THAT ARPT WAS TOO CLOSE THAT EVENING BUT NOBODY ELSE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

Narrative: LANDED AT IPT AT APPROX XA30 LCL. TWR NORMALLY CLOSES AT SB30 AND FIELD BECOME UNCONTROLLED. TWR THEN INFORMED US THAT FIELD CLOSES AT XC30. ASKED WHAT HE MEANT BY 'CLOSES,' AND HE REPEATED THAT ENTIRE FIELD WOULD BE CLOSED. (WE WERE FILED IFR AT XC30 DEP.) CALLED FSS (LOCATED ON FIELD). THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF FIELD CLOSURE (CONFUSION?). AT XC20 LCL CALL FSS FOR CLRNC, ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY PROB WITH SC45-50 DEP AND IF FIELD WOULD BE OPEN. THEY SAID NO PROB WITH DEP TIME AND YES, THE LIGHTS, ETC WOULD BE LEFT ON. XC30 CAME AND WENT. ALL ARPT LIGHTS--TXWYS, RWYS, BEACON, ETC--REMAINED ON. SEVERAL ARPT OPS (LNDGS/TKOFS) OCCURRED AFTER XC30 LCL, INCLUDING AN ACR LNDG AT APPROX XC45. WE PROCEEDED TO DEPART AT XC50 LCL. PERCEPTIONS/JUDGEMENTS: IT WAS MY CALL THAT WE DEPART BASED ON: FSS HAD NO KNOWLEDGE (OR APPEARED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE) ON FIELD CLOSURE (AND THEY ARE BASED ON THE FIELD); LIGHTS/BEACON LEFT ON (IF IT WAS INDEED CLOSED, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED OFF); AFTER TWR CLOSURE, W/O FSS NOTIFICATION AS ACFT CALLED IN, THERE WOULD BE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ARPT CLOSURE; AND UPON VIEWING ALL DATA AT HAND AT TIME OF EVENT, THE ARPT WAS INDEED OPEN AND THE TWR HAD BEEN MISINFORMED OR HAD THE DATES MIXED UP. I DON'T KNOW THE REMEDY, OTHER THAN TWRS/ATC/FSS COMMUNICATE IN A DIFFERENT MANNER TO PRECLUDE THIS PROB. NOTE: WE HAD INTENDED ON OVERNIGHTING UNTIL AS STATED ABOVE I FELT I HAD ACCURATELY DETERMINED THE ARPT WAS INDEED OPEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR REITERATED THAT THE TWR SAID THE ARPT WOULD BE CLOSED AT XC30 AND REPEATED IT WHEN ASKED AGAIN. RPTR ALSO SAID THAT HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER ABOUT THIS. HE WONDERS IF THE TWR COULD HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION OR IF HE COULD HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE ANSWER. NO NOTAM WAS ISSUED.

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.