Narrative:

At XA27 MST on jul/fri/93 I landed an small aircraft on runway 22 at E63 at gila bend, az. At XB46 I departed from the same runway. I subsequently learned that runway 4-22 was closed by NOTAM. On jul/93 I had landed at gila bend on a practice IFR flight to tus. Prior to that flight I had obtained a WX briefing and NOTAMS via duat. The following NOTAM related to gila bend: prc 05/036 E63 thr relctd 500 southwest till 08010100. During the touch and go landing, I noted that work was being done to extend runway 22 to the northeast. The displaced threshold was marked and the runway was not closed. The runway extension appeared to be graded dirt. The jul/fri/93 flight to gila bend and return was planned to gain cross country time required to meet experience requirements of far 61.65, and in preparation for an instrument rating flight test. Gila bend is more than 50 NM from the point of departure. The flight was conducted in VFR and, since I was 'hooded,' I was accompanied by an appropriately rated safety pilot. No flight plan was filed and no WX briefing was obtained as the WX was clear and expected to remain so for days. I had removed the hood prior to passing over the airport to check wind and runway conditions. I noted that the extension to runway 22 appeared to have been paved since my landing on jul/93, and that there was a yellow X on the dirt slightly to the northeast of the start of the new runway surface. As I was aware of the NOTAM regarding the displaced threshold, I assumed that the yellow X was to warn pilots not to land on the new runway surface. Had the runway been closed, I would have expected the X to have been on the original runway surface close to the displaced threshold marker. After an uneventful landing beyond the displaced threshold marking, I exited the runway at midfield and returned, via the taxiway, to runway 22. On departure from runway 22, I noted a yellow X on the runway surface at the threshold of runway 4. I later became concerned that the runway may have been closed and on jul/93 I obtained a duat briefing for flight to gila bend. The briefing included NOTAM 05/036 referenced above, and a new NOTAM, prc 07/020: prc 07/020 E63 4-22 closed till 250100. Apparently, I had landed on a runway closed by NOTAM. Had I not landed at gila bend, the flight time would not have counted as cross country time. There is little doubt that this influenced my interpretation of the temporary runway markings. In my opinion, the temporary markings did not correctly designate the runway as being closed. I have relearned the wisdom of obtaining a briefing, including NOTAMS, for all flts.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: AT XA27 MST ON JUL/FRI/93 I LANDED AN SMA ON RWY 22 AT E63 AT GILA BEND, AZ. AT XB46 I DEPARTED FROM THE SAME RWY. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT RWY 4-22 WAS CLOSED BY NOTAM. ON JUL/93 I HAD LANDED AT GILA BEND ON A PRACTICE IFR FLT TO TUS. PRIOR TO THAT FLT I HAD OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING AND NOTAMS VIA DUAT. THE FOLLOWING NOTAM RELATED TO GILA BEND: PRC 05/036 E63 THR RELCTD 500 SW TILL 08010100. DURING THE TOUCH AND GO LNDG, I NOTED THAT WORK WAS BEING DONE TO EXTEND RWY 22 TO THE NE. THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD WAS MARKED AND THE RWY WAS NOT CLOSED. THE RWY EXTENSION APPEARED TO BE GRADED DIRT. THE JUL/FRI/93 FLT TO GILA BEND AND RETURN WAS PLANNED TO GAIN XCOUNTRY TIME REQUIRED TO MEET EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF FAR 61.65, AND IN PREPARATION FOR AN INST RATING FLT TEST. GILA BEND IS MORE THAN 50 NM FROM THE POINT OF DEP. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED IN VFR AND, SINCE I WAS 'HOODED,' I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY AN APPROPRIATELY RATED SAFETY PLT. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED AND NO WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED AS THE WX WAS CLR AND EXPECTED TO REMAIN SO FOR DAYS. I HAD REMOVED THE HOOD PRIOR TO PASSING OVER THE ARPT TO CHK WIND AND RWY CONDITIONS. I NOTED THAT THE EXTENSION TO RWY 22 APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN PAVED SINCE MY LNDG ON JUL/93, AND THAT THERE WAS A YELLOW X ON THE DIRT SLIGHTLY TO THE NE OF THE START OF THE NEW RWY SURFACE. AS I WAS AWARE OF THE NOTAM REGARDING THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, I ASSUMED THAT THE YELLOW X WAS TO WARN PLTS NOT TO LAND ON THE NEW RWY SURFACE. HAD THE RWY BEEN CLOSED, I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE X TO HAVE BEEN ON THE ORIGINAL RWY SURFACE CLOSE TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKER. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG BEYOND THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKING, I EXITED THE RWY AT MIDFIELD AND RETURNED, VIA THE TXWY, TO RWY 22. ON DEP FROM RWY 22, I NOTED A YELLOW X ON THE RWY SURFACE AT THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 4. I LATER BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE RWY MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSED AND ON JUL/93 I OBTAINED A DUAT BRIEFING FOR FLT TO GILA BEND. THE BRIEFING INCLUDED NOTAM 05/036 REFED ABOVE, AND A NEW NOTAM, PRC 07/020: PRC 07/020 E63 4-22 CLOSED TILL 250100. APPARENTLY, I HAD LANDED ON A RWY CLOSED BY NOTAM. HAD I NOT LANDED AT GILA BEND, THE FLT TIME WOULD NOT HAVE COUNTED AS XCOUNTRY TIME. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THIS INFLUENCED MY INTERPRETATION OF THE TEMPORARY RWY MARKINGS. IN MY OPINION, THE TEMPORARY MARKINGS DID NOT CORRECTLY DESIGNATE THE RWY AS BEING CLOSED. I HAVE RELEARNED THE WISDOM OF OBTAINING A BRIEFING, INCLUDING NOTAMS, FOR ALL FLTS.

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.