Narrative:

During a local flight training lesson with my student, an excellent training opportunity arose for a simulated engine out. We were approximately 4 mi north of X46 at 2000 ft. My student selected the airport to land on. We announced all intentions, position, and requested advisories on final for runway 18. The current conditions would favor runway 9/27, but that was unsuitable under the simulated conditions. We landed safely on runway 18 and came to a full stop. Since it was a direct crosswind of 9 KTS, we taxied to the end of runway 18 and used runway 36 for takeoff. Again we made all the proper radio calls and took off to come home (hwo). On the upwind we noticed there were some vehicles on runway 9. These were not visible from flight because of the trees surrounding the airport and our position. On the way back I called mia FSS 122.4 to check on any NOTAMS for this airport. They said it was closed until XX23Z. When we got back to hwo I called the tower and asked them if they knew X46 was closed. They said no, surprised, and called FSS to check. On the first call a briefer told them there were no NOTAMS. I then told the tower what I was told on 122.4, they checked again, and this time were told it was closed. I think NOTAMS should be more easily accessible to briefers and also when an airport is closed there should be some type of runway marking at that airport, ie, yellow X's, and perhaps someone monitoring the frequency. Of course the briefing is the most important step before any flight, but you can see that they are not so standard, and may have not included the NOTAM for X46, since that was a training opportunity, and not a planned destination. From now on I will emphasize even more to get a briefing before landing at any unplanned destinations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there were no markings anywhere on any runway. They never came close to any vehicles and he could not see any from the right side of the aircraft. The flight was on unicom at all times and never received a response. There was a truck which appeared to be a county truck which did have 2 way communication, but never responded either. Another aircraft went to that airport the same day and never had any communication response nor did they see anything at the time of their flight. Reporter really disturbed because he understood that any closed airport was to have yellow X's on the runways. Also disturbing was the erroneous information that ATC received from FSS on the first call up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT PLT LANDS AT CLOSED ARPT. NO RWY MARKINGS, NO RESPONSE ON UNICOM.

Narrative: DURING A LCL FLT TRAINING LESSON WITH MY STUDENT, AN EXCELLENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITY AROSE FOR A SIMULATED ENG OUT. WE WERE APPROX 4 MI N OF X46 AT 2000 FT. MY STUDENT SELECTED THE ARPT TO LAND ON. WE ANNOUNCED ALL INTENTIONS, POS, AND REQUESTED ADVISORIES ON FINAL FOR RWY 18. THE CURRENT CONDITIONS WOULD FAVOR RWY 9/27, BUT THAT WAS UNSUITABLE UNDER THE SIMULATED CONDITIONS. WE LANDED SAFELY ON RWY 18 AND CAME TO A FULL STOP. SINCE IT WAS A DIRECT XWIND OF 9 KTS, WE TAXIED TO THE END OF RWY 18 AND USED RWY 36 FOR TKOF. AGAIN WE MADE ALL THE PROPER RADIO CALLS AND TOOK OFF TO COME HOME (HWO). ON THE UPWIND WE NOTICED THERE WERE SOME VEHICLES ON RWY 9. THESE WERE NOT VISIBLE FROM FLT BECAUSE OF THE TREES SURROUNDING THE ARPT AND OUR POS. ON THE WAY BACK I CALLED MIA FSS 122.4 TO CHK ON ANY NOTAMS FOR THIS ARPT. THEY SAID IT WAS CLOSED UNTIL XX23Z. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO HWO I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED THEM IF THEY KNEW X46 WAS CLOSED. THEY SAID NO, SURPRISED, AND CALLED FSS TO CHK. ON THE FIRST CALL A BRIEFER TOLD THEM THERE WERE NO NOTAMS. I THEN TOLD THE TWR WHAT I WAS TOLD ON 122.4, THEY CHKED AGAIN, AND THIS TIME WERE TOLD IT WAS CLOSED. I THINK NOTAMS SHOULD BE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO BRIEFERS AND ALSO WHEN AN ARPT IS CLOSED THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF RWY MARKING AT THAT ARPT, IE, YELLOW X'S, AND PERHAPS SOMEONE MONITORING THE FREQ. OF COURSE THE BRIEFING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP BEFORE ANY FLT, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE NOT SO STANDARD, AND MAY HAVE NOT INCLUDED THE NOTAM FOR X46, SINCE THAT WAS A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY, AND NOT A PLANNED DEST. FROM NOW ON I WILL EMPHASIZE EVEN MORE TO GET A BRIEFING BEFORE LNDG AT ANY UNPLANNED DESTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE WERE NO MARKINGS ANYWHERE ON ANY RWY. THEY NEVER CAME CLOSE TO ANY VEHICLES AND HE COULD NOT SEE ANY FROM THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. THE FLT WAS ON UNICOM AT ALL TIMES AND NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. THERE WAS A TRUCK WHICH APPEARED TO BE A COUNTY TRUCK WHICH DID HAVE 2 WAY COM, BUT NEVER RESPONDED EITHER. ANOTHER ACFT WENT TO THAT ARPT THE SAME DAY AND NEVER HAD ANY COM RESPONSE NOR DID THEY SEE ANYTHING AT THE TIME OF THEIR FLT. RPTR REALLY DISTURBED BECAUSE HE UNDERSTOOD THAT ANY CLOSED ARPT WAS TO HAVE YELLOW X'S ON THE RWYS. ALSO DISTURBING WAS THE ERRONEOUS INFO THAT ATC RECEIVED FROM FSS ON THE FIRST CALL UP.

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.