Narrative:

I had been waiting for some decent WX to get our LORAN to easton, PA, for an update and repair. I called WX for a standard WX briefing in the morning, about XA30. I was told that it was still a bit windy, but that conditions would improve as the day went on. I could have gone at XB00, but decided that it would be a more comfortable ride in the afternoon. Nothing was said about a runway being closed at linden. Ie: no NOTAM. Before I left staten island to go to the airport, I again called WX for an update. The winds were better, and again, nothing was said about a NOTAM. Arriving at the airport, I went inside the FBO to the mens room, and stopped at the counter on the way out and asked which was the active runway. There were a couple of men there, and the secretary of the FBO was sitting at the desk with the radio and microphone. I was told that they had been using runway 27. I pointed out that the latest WX said the wind was coming from 300 degrees and that the windsock was indicating the wind coming right down runway 32. The upshot of this conversation at the desk was that it was the pilot's decision as to which one to use. Nothing was said about the runway being closed -- and the FBO secretary was right there. While doing my run-up, a tiger (on the radio) was coming in for a landing on runway 27. I got on the radio and told him that the windsock showed that the wind was right on runway 32. He thanked me, and made his crosswind landing. Again, no indication of a NOTAM. When I was about to takeoff, I announced that I was about to depart runway 32, did my last min checks, taxied into position, adjusted the directional gyroscope, turned on the transponder, checked the windsock, looked around for possible other traffic, and then commenced takeoff. I was in the air and leaving the airport area when someone got on the radio to bawl me out for taking off from a notamed runway, and I was somewhat confused and amazed to hear this. Looking over the above sequence of events, there were at least 5 different times when it was possible to have learned of the notamed runway. Where did the system break down?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT TOOK OFF FROM A 'NOTAMED' CLOSED RWY. THE RPTR STATED HE CHKED WITH FLT SVC LESS THAN AN HR PRIOR TO TKOF. THE FBO DID NOT TELL THE RPTR ABOUT THE 'NOTAMED' RWY. THE TFC LNDG XWIND ON RWY 27 APPARENTLY KNEW THE RWY 32 WAS 'NOTAMED' BUT DID NOT NOTIFY THE RPTR.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR SOME DECENT WX TO GET OUR LORAN TO EASTON, PA, FOR AN UPDATE AND REPAIR. I CALLED WX FOR A STANDARD WX BRIEFING IN THE MORNING, ABOUT XA30. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS STILL A BIT WINDY, BUT THAT CONDITIONS WOULD IMPROVE AS THE DAY WENT ON. I COULD HAVE GONE AT XB00, BUT DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE A MORE COMFORTABLE RIDE IN THE AFTERNOON. NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT A RWY BEING CLOSED AT LINDEN. IE: NO NOTAM. BEFORE I LEFT STATEN ISLAND TO GO TO THE ARPT, I AGAIN CALLED WX FOR AN UPDATE. THE WINDS WERE BETTER, AND AGAIN, NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT A NOTAM. ARRIVING AT THE ARPT, I WENT INSIDE THE FBO TO THE MENS ROOM, AND STOPPED AT THE COUNTER ON THE WAY OUT AND ASKED WHICH WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MEN THERE, AND THE SECRETARY OF THE FBO WAS SITTING AT THE DESK WITH THE RADIO AND MIKE. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD BEEN USING RWY 27. I POINTED OUT THAT THE LATEST WX SAID THE WIND WAS COMING FROM 300 DEGS AND THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS INDICATING THE WIND COMING RIGHT DOWN RWY 32. THE UPSHOT OF THIS CONVERSATION AT THE DESK WAS THAT IT WAS THE PLT'S DECISION AS TO WHICH ONE TO USE. NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT THE RWY BEING CLOSED -- AND THE FBO SECRETARY WAS RIGHT THERE. WHILE DOING MY RUN-UP, A TIGER (ON THE RADIO) WAS COMING IN FOR A LNDG ON RWY 27. I GOT ON THE RADIO AND TOLD HIM THAT THE WINDSOCK SHOWED THAT THE WIND WAS RIGHT ON RWY 32. HE THANKED ME, AND MADE HIS XWIND LNDG. AGAIN, NO INDICATION OF A NOTAM. WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO TKOF, I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS ABOUT TO DEPART RWY 32, DID MY LAST MIN CHKS, TAXIED INTO POS, ADJUSTED THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE, TURNED ON THE XPONDER, CHKED THE WINDSOCK, LOOKED AROUND FOR POSSIBLE OTHER TFC, AND THEN COMMENCED TKOF. I WAS IN THE AIR AND LEAVING THE ARPT AREA WHEN SOMEONE GOT ON THE RADIO TO BAWL ME OUT FOR TAKING OFF FROM A NOTAMED RWY, AND I WAS SOMEWHAT CONFUSED AND AMAZED TO HEAR THIS. LOOKING OVER THE ABOVE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, THERE WERE AT LEAST 5 DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN IT WAS POSSIBLE TO HAVE LEARNED OF THE NOTAMED RWY. WHERE DID THE SYS BREAK DOWN?

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.