Narrative:

Approaching ocf for landing from north, descending IMC on IFR fpl with jax ARTCC entered VMC 3000 ft MSL 15 NM north of ocf and canceled IFR. I was given no restrs regarding visual approach or landing at ocf, (uncontrolled) and no traffic conflicts. Monitored AWOS and received normal information - no mention of runway closure, wind via AWOS favored runway 18 (6900 ft X 150 ft). Tuned (I thought) unicom and declared straight-in runway 18 at 7 and 5 mi and short final - received no reply. Observed from short final what I thought were vehicles in aircraft tiedown area east of runway 18/36 for down (approximately 1 mi) runway no flashing lights, no X on runway or other signals were visible. Normal landing to full stop in less than 3000 ft, probably 2500 ft, of runway was made. At turnoff, it became apparent that an aircraft was off the runway 1000-1500 ft beyond my exit and that an unknown # of vehicles surrounded it - no vehicles were on the runway and my wing span would have cleared the aircraft had roll-out beyond it been necessary. Witness stated the aircraft had been on the ground 45 mins, yet FSS and ARTCC had not been notified. Unicom had attempted to contact me. I did not receive them and may have mistuned. Upon taxi for departure we heard a kingair 2000 ft directly above the airport unable to read unicom and relayed to them successfully. Suggest FBO and local emergency personnel be trained in visual warning procedures and be furnished procedures for contacting FSS and ARTCC! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: it was sunday afternoon when an aerostar ran off the side of the northwest runway. He was clear of the runway but the sheriff and the police were present and of the definite opinion that the pilots should not land on that runway. The reporter's fiancee was in the FBO witnessing the unicom's failed effort to contact the reporter. Another aircraft arrived and unicom was unsuccessful with that one also. Both arriving aircraft were on the unicom frequency making their calls to traffic in the blind as appropriate to a non-tower airport. They both received AWOS-3. Could the runway closure have been recorded on that facility? The reporter stated the runway in his opinion was safe and even if he had flown the standard pattern and observed the activity form downwind he still would have landed. However, he admits with flight training at the airport in the absence of unicom contact it would have been a better practice to fly the pattern. The reporter is an experienced pilot with a stable full of aircraft including a staggering beech, 2 C-45 south, a piper pacer, his cessna-340 and more just to mention a few. The FBO unicom operators did not seem trained to cope with notifying the various ATC agencies that sunday afternoon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR MAY HAVE LANDED ON CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: APCHING OCF FOR LNDG FROM N, DSNDING IMC ON IFR FPL WITH JAX ARTCC ENTERED VMC 3000 FT MSL 15 NM N OF OCF AND CANCELED IFR. I WAS GIVEN NO RESTRS REGARDING VISUAL APCH OR LNDG AT OCF, (UNCTLED) AND NO TFC CONFLICTS. MONITORED AWOS AND RECEIVED NORMAL INFO - NO MENTION OF RWY CLOSURE, WIND VIA AWOS FAVORED RWY 18 (6900 FT X 150 FT). TUNED (I THOUGHT) UNICOM AND DECLARED STRAIGHT-IN RWY 18 AT 7 AND 5 MI AND SHORT FINAL - RECEIVED NO REPLY. OBSERVED FROM SHORT FINAL WHAT I THOUGHT WERE VEHICLES IN ACFT TIEDOWN AREA E OF RWY 18/36 FOR DOWN (APPROX 1 MI) RWY NO FLASHING LIGHTS, NO X ON RWY OR OTHER SIGNALS WERE VISIBLE. NORMAL LNDG TO FULL STOP IN LESS THAN 3000 FT, PROBABLY 2500 FT, OF RWY WAS MADE. AT TURNOFF, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT AN ACFT WAS OFF THE RWY 1000-1500 FT BEYOND MY EXIT AND THAT AN UNKNOWN # OF VEHICLES SURROUNDED IT - NO VEHICLES WERE ON THE RWY AND MY WING SPAN WOULD HAVE CLRED THE ACFT HAD ROLL-OUT BEYOND IT BEEN NECESSARY. WITNESS STATED THE ACFT HAD BEEN ON THE GND 45 MINS, YET FSS AND ARTCC HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. UNICOM HAD ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ME. I DID NOT RECEIVE THEM AND MAY HAVE MISTUNED. UPON TAXI FOR DEP WE HEARD A KINGAIR 2000 FT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ARPT UNABLE TO READ UNICOM AND RELAYED TO THEM SUCCESSFULLY. SUGGEST FBO AND LCL EMER PERSONNEL BE TRAINED IN VISUAL WARNING PROCS AND BE FURNISHED PROCS FOR CONTACTING FSS AND ARTCC! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IT WAS SUNDAY AFTERNOON WHEN AN AEROSTAR RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE NW RWY. HE WAS CLR OF THE RWY BUT THE SHERIFF AND THE POLICE WERE PRESENT AND OF THE DEFINITE OPINION THAT THE PLTS SHOULD NOT LAND ON THAT RWY. THE RPTR'S FIANCEE WAS IN THE FBO WITNESSING THE UNICOM'S FAILED EFFORT TO CONTACT THE RPTR. ANOTHER ACFT ARRIVED AND UNICOM WAS UNSUCCESSFUL WITH THAT ONE ALSO. BOTH ARRIVING ACFT WERE ON THE UNICOM FREQ MAKING THEIR CALLS TO TFC IN THE BLIND AS APPROPRIATE TO A NON-TWR ARPT. THEY BOTH RECEIVED AWOS-3. COULD THE RWY CLOSURE HAVE BEEN RECORDED ON THAT FACILITY? THE RPTR STATED THE RWY IN HIS OPINION WAS SAFE AND EVEN IF HE HAD FLOWN THE STANDARD PATTERN AND OBSERVED THE ACTIVITY FORM DOWNWIND HE STILL WOULD HAVE LANDED. HOWEVER, HE ADMITS WITH FLT TRAINING AT THE ARPT IN THE ABSENCE OF UNICOM CONTACT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PRACTICE TO FLY THE PATTERN. THE RPTR IS AN EXPERIENCED PLT WITH A STABLE FULL OF ACFT INCLUDING A STAGGERING BEECH, 2 C-45 S, A PIPER PACER, HIS CESSNA-340 AND MORE JUST TO MENTION A FEW. THE FBO UNICOM OPERATORS DID NOT SEEM TRAINED TO COPE WITH NOTIFYING THE VARIOUS ATC AGENCIES THAT SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

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.