Narrative:

I'm a cfii at an FBO in crookston, mn. My student came at XA00 jun/xx/97. She planned a flight to fosston, mn. I asked her if she had all the WX and everything for the proposed flight. She said yes. We departed ckn at approximately XA45. We landed on runway 16 at fosston 20 mins later. I made her come to a full stop. Before we landed we flew over the airport above the traffic pattern altitude to look at the runway and the wind sock. Then we entered the traffic pattern on downwind and then base and final, then a nice landing. After we landed we came to a full stop. We turned around and taxied approximately 5 mph. As we came near the approach end of runway 16 I saw a ditch. I took immediate control of aircraft and applied brakes. We slid on gravel into a 2 ft deep hole in the runway. It was the whole width of the runway. I turned off the aircraft fuel and electrical. I then pulled my student from the aircraft and carried her in my arms far away from the aircraft. Then I took her to the unmanned FBO. I then investigated the runway. There were numerous trenches cut in the runway. I took a local man from fosston to help me investigate and as a witness. We did not see any X's on the runway. The police report states that X's were not on the runway warning that the runway is closed. A local construction company forgot to place the X's on the runway. My student got the WX off of a WX computer and missed getting NOTAMS. I should have doublechked that she called the FSS and got WX and NOTAMS. I always train my students to call the FSS and get WX and NOTAMS. I just was under the impression that she did what she was trained to do. No one was hurt. If the surface was clear of gravel and sand- like material, I would have been able to stop the plane in time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there was a NOTAM issued but his student forgot to request NOTAMS. However, the FSDO inspector indicated that the lack of X's on the runway absolved him of responsibility for the incident. X's were placed on the runway about 20 mins after the incident but were very small, 2 1 by 6 pieces of wood nailed in the center and painted white. Another aircraft landed when these were on the runway since they were not very visible and his wheels just caught the edge of the ditch and the aircraft was badly damaged. Reporter indicated he carried his student from the plane because she did not seem to realize the danger and did not move. He is a lifeguard and just moved into action. Reporter aircraft had damaged from wheel and bent propeller.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI LANDS AND TAXIES BACK TO FIND A DITCH ACROSS THE RWY. THE RWY WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED BUT NO X'S ON THE RWY.

Narrative: I'M A CFII AT AN FBO IN CROOKSTON, MN. MY STUDENT CAME AT XA00 JUN/XX/97. SHE PLANNED A FLT TO FOSSTON, MN. I ASKED HER IF SHE HAD ALL THE WX AND EVERYTHING FOR THE PROPOSED FLT. SHE SAID YES. WE DEPARTED CKN AT APPROX XA45. WE LANDED ON RWY 16 AT FOSSTON 20 MINS LATER. I MADE HER COME TO A FULL STOP. BEFORE WE LANDED WE FLEW OVER THE ARPT ABOVE THE TFC PATTERN ALT TO LOOK AT THE RWY AND THE WIND SOCK. THEN WE ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN ON DOWNWIND AND THEN BASE AND FINAL, THEN A NICE LNDG. AFTER WE LANDED WE CAME TO A FULL STOP. WE TURNED AROUND AND TAXIED APPROX 5 MPH. AS WE CAME NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 16 I SAW A DITCH. I TOOK IMMEDIATE CTL OF ACFT AND APPLIED BRAKES. WE SLID ON GRAVEL INTO A 2 FT DEEP HOLE IN THE RWY. IT WAS THE WHOLE WIDTH OF THE RWY. I TURNED OFF THE ACFT FUEL AND ELECTRICAL. I THEN PULLED MY STUDENT FROM THE ACFT AND CARRIED HER IN MY ARMS FAR AWAY FROM THE ACFT. THEN I TOOK HER TO THE UNMANNED FBO. I THEN INVESTIGATED THE RWY. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TRENCHES CUT IN THE RWY. I TOOK A LCL MAN FROM FOSSTON TO HELP ME INVESTIGATE AND AS A WITNESS. WE DID NOT SEE ANY X'S ON THE RWY. THE POLICE RPT STATES THAT X'S WERE NOT ON THE RWY WARNING THAT THE RWY IS CLOSED. A LCL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FORGOT TO PLACE THE X'S ON THE RWY. MY STUDENT GOT THE WX OFF OF A WX COMPUTER AND MISSED GETTING NOTAMS. I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED THAT SHE CALLED THE FSS AND GOT WX AND NOTAMS. I ALWAYS TRAIN MY STUDENTS TO CALL THE FSS AND GET WX AND NOTAMS. I JUST WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE DID WHAT SHE WAS TRAINED TO DO. NO ONE WAS HURT. IF THE SURFACE WAS CLR OF GRAVEL AND SAND- LIKE MATERIAL, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE PLANE IN TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM ISSUED BUT HIS STUDENT FORGOT TO REQUEST NOTAMS. HOWEVER, THE FSDO INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT THE LACK OF X'S ON THE RWY ABSOLVED HIM OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT. X'S WERE PLACED ON THE RWY ABOUT 20 MINS AFTER THE INCIDENT BUT WERE VERY SMALL, 2 1 BY 6 PIECES OF WOOD NAILED IN THE CTR AND PAINTED WHITE. ANOTHER ACFT LANDED WHEN THESE WERE ON THE RWY SINCE THEY WERE NOT VERY VISIBLE AND HIS WHEELS JUST CAUGHT THE EDGE OF THE DITCH AND THE ACFT WAS BADLY DAMAGED. RPTR INDICATED HE CARRIED HIS STUDENT FROM THE PLANE BECAUSE SHE DID NOT SEEM TO REALIZE THE DANGER AND DID NOT MOVE. HE IS A LIFEGUARD AND JUST MOVED INTO ACTION. RPTR ACFT HAD DAMAGED FROM WHEEL AND BENT PROP.

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.