Narrative:

Departed columbia county airport (1b1) at XA00 for a local training pleasure flight. Prior to departure I called athens airport (NY03) for local conditions -- no one answered. Previous flts into NY03, the owner asked me to use the gross strip adjacent to the turf runway in the spring when runway conditions are soft. After departure and 30-40 mins of practice, I headed to NY03 to meet a friend and introduce him to flying. I attempted 3 times to reach unicom on 122.8 and headed for a crosswind approach to runway 2 (columbia county 1b1 was using runway 3 and was the closest runway). Upon entering crosswind I noticed the windsock was favoring runway 20. I flew left downwind along runway 2 and departed southeast and reentered on a left 45 to runway 20. After flying downwind, base, and final, I landed without incident in the grass adjacent to the runway as requested previously by the owner. I walked to the owner's house to announce my intentions of notifying a friend that I was in athen and I would be departing shortly. No one was home at the house so I walked to a corner store and called my friend, who picked me up at the store and we returned to the airport. Upon reaching the airport I was met by the owner and his wife who stated that the airport was closed. I apologized and stated that the runway was not X out indicating closed (at the runway ends). I later found out that a small X was placed in the center of the runway but difficult to see due to the mud/dirt that had splashed on top of it. I departed the airport without incident after apologizing again and offering to assist them in any way possible. Upon landing at 1b1 I checked the NOTAMS and found the airport NY03 was closed -- I should not have relied on previous information or just attempted to reach the owner for local knowledge. The runways should have been better marked if closed as indicated in far's by crossing each end and near the windsock.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LANDS CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: DEPARTED COLUMBIA COUNTY ARPT (1B1) AT XA00 FOR A LCL TRAINING PLEASURE FLT. PRIOR TO DEP I CALLED ATHENS ARPT (NY03) FOR LCL CONDITIONS -- NO ONE ANSWERED. PREVIOUS FLTS INTO NY03, THE OWNER ASKED ME TO USE THE GROSS STRIP ADJACENT TO THE TURF RWY IN THE SPRING WHEN RWY CONDITIONS ARE SOFT. AFTER DEP AND 30-40 MINS OF PRACTICE, I HEADED TO NY03 TO MEET A FRIEND AND INTRODUCE HIM TO FLYING. I ATTEMPTED 3 TIMES TO REACH UNICOM ON 122.8 AND HEADED FOR A XWIND APCH TO RWY 2 (COLUMBIA COUNTY 1B1 WAS USING RWY 3 AND WAS THE CLOSEST RWY). UPON ENTERING XWIND I NOTICED THE WINDSOCK WAS FAVORING RWY 20. I FLEW L DOWNWIND ALONG RWY 2 AND DEPARTED SE AND REENTERED ON A L 45 TO RWY 20. AFTER FLYING DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL, I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT IN THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RWY AS REQUESTED PREVIOUSLY BY THE OWNER. I WALKED TO THE OWNER'S HOUSE TO ANNOUNCE MY INTENTIONS OF NOTIFYING A FRIEND THAT I WAS IN ATHEN AND I WOULD BE DEPARTING SHORTLY. NO ONE WAS HOME AT THE HOUSE SO I WALKED TO A CORNER STORE AND CALLED MY FRIEND, WHO PICKED ME UP AT THE STORE AND WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT. UPON REACHING THE ARPT I WAS MET BY THE OWNER AND HIS WIFE WHO STATED THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. I APOLOGIZED AND STATED THAT THE RWY WAS NOT X OUT INDICATING CLOSED (AT THE RWY ENDS). I LATER FOUND OUT THAT A SMALL X WAS PLACED IN THE CTR OF THE RWY BUT DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO THE MUD/DIRT THAT HAD SPLASHED ON TOP OF IT. I DEPARTED THE ARPT WITHOUT INCIDENT AFTER APOLOGIZING AGAIN AND OFFERING TO ASSIST THEM IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. UPON LNDG AT 1B1 I CHKED THE NOTAMS AND FOUND THE ARPT NY03 WAS CLOSED -- I SHOULD NOT HAVE RELIED ON PREVIOUS INFO OR JUST ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE OWNER FOR LCL KNOWLEDGE. THE RWYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER MARKED IF CLOSED AS INDICATED IN FAR'S BY XING EACH END AND NEAR THE WINDSOCK.

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.