Narrative:

Prior to our departure to bce, my captain and I were informed by mr south, the dispatcher in page, that the WX in bce was high overcast. While en route to bde over st george, ut, PIC attempted several times to contact cedar city flight service for WX, but was unsuccessful due to terrain and altitude. As we entered the traffic pattern for runway 21 at bce, we observed a snow plow clearing the turn around area at the approach end of runway 21. During our turn from base to final, we made sure that the snow plow was still clear of the runway. After we unloaded our passenger, the snow plow, driven by the bce airport manager, mr T, drove up and informed us that the airport was closed. While the passenger were on the ground portion of their tour the PIC contacted a mr U, the airlines duty officer, on sunday. He later informed us that he spoke to airport manager and it was agreed that he would open the airport for our departure. After returning with our passenger, airport manager informed us that the airport was closed for runway snow removal and that he would open the airport for our departure at XA56 local. From that point on, the flight continued as normal. It wasn't until the next day, monday, that we realized that the NOTAM didn't display until AM30 local, which was 12 mins before our time out of the blocks. This occurrence took place because of poor planning and observations. If our transition into part 121 operations would have been complete, this occurrence would not have taken place due to the mutual dispatcher/PIC agreement on the flight. Supplemental information from acn 353129: 3 mins out from the airport we called unicom and requested an airport advisory. We did not receive a response and so we made the standard uncontrolled airport calls. Having flown in the tour industry for just over 2 yrs now, I feel that I was conditioned to getting the minimum WX information and trying to 'get in' the tour for the company. I think this played a strong role leading to my complacency. Last of all, the company has reduced our access to WX information available locally. The pilots are down to telephones and a limited access computer in the flight follower's office. Hopefully this will change once we complete our transition to part 121.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX DHC6-300 MAKES AN UNAUTH LNDG AT A CLOSED ARPT. RWY CONDITION SNOW. NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: PRIOR TO OUR DEP TO BCE, MY CAPT AND I WERE INFORMED BY MR S, THE DISPATCHER IN PAGE, THAT THE WX IN BCE WAS HIGH OVCST. WHILE ENRTE TO BDE OVER ST GEORGE, UT, PIC ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT CEDAR CITY FLT SVC FOR WX, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL DUE TO TERRAIN AND ALT. AS WE ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 21 AT BCE, WE OBSERVED A SNOW PLOW CLRING THE TURN AROUND AREA AT THE APCH END OF RWY 21. DURING OUR TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, WE MADE SURE THAT THE SNOW PLOW WAS STILL CLR OF THE RWY. AFTER WE UNLOADED OUR PAX, THE SNOW PLOW, DRIVEN BY THE BCE ARPT MGR, MR T, DROVE UP AND INFORMED US THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. WHILE THE PAX WERE ON THE GND PORTION OF THEIR TOUR THE PIC CONTACTED A MR U, THE AIRLINES DUTY OFFICER, ON SUNDAY. HE LATER INFORMED US THAT HE SPOKE TO ARPT MGR AND IT WAS AGREED THAT HE WOULD OPEN THE ARPT FOR OUR DEP. AFTER RETURNING WITH OUR PAX, ARPT MGR INFORMED US THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR RWY SNOW REMOVAL AND THAT HE WOULD OPEN THE ARPT FOR OUR DEP AT XA56 LCL. FROM THAT POINT ON, THE FLT CONTINUED AS NORMAL. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, MONDAY, THAT WE REALIZED THAT THE NOTAM DIDN'T DISPLAY UNTIL AM30 LCL, WHICH WAS 12 MINS BEFORE OUR TIME OUT OF THE BLOCKS. THIS OCCURRENCE TOOK PLACE BECAUSE OF POOR PLANNING AND OBSERVATIONS. IF OUR TRANSITION INTO PART 121 OPS WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETE, THIS OCCURRENCE WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE DUE TO THE MUTUAL DISPATCHER/PIC AGREEMENT ON THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 353129: 3 MINS OUT FROM THE ARPT WE CALLED UNICOM AND REQUESTED AN ARPT ADVISORY. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE AND SO WE MADE THE STANDARD UNCTLED ARPT CALLS. HAVING FLOWN IN THE TOUR INDUSTRY FOR JUST OVER 2 YRS NOW, I FEEL THAT I WAS CONDITIONED TO GETTING THE MINIMUM WX INFO AND TRYING TO 'GET IN' THE TOUR FOR THE COMPANY. I THINK THIS PLAYED A STRONG ROLE LEADING TO MY COMPLACENCY. LAST OF ALL, THE COMPANY HAS REDUCED OUR ACCESS TO WX INFO AVAILABLE LOCALLY. THE PLTS ARE DOWN TO TELEPHONES AND A LIMITED ACCESS COMPUTER IN THE FLT FOLLOWER'S OFFICE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CHANGE ONCE WE COMPLETE OUR TRANSITION TO PART 121.

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.