Narrative:

My passenger and I flying for a camping trip to saline valley hot springs, near death valley, ca. WX was clear with light winds. 2 landing strips existed -- a convenient but rough dirt strip near the hot springs, or the 'chicken strip' further away at the base of a hill. My passenger, an experienced bush pilot and mentor for bush operations, had made numerous flying trips to this destination in the past decade. It was my first time. We inspected both strips from the air, concluding the prevailing winds, albeit light, favored the close-in strip. My passenger had had experience with wind rotors at the chicken strip because of the hill on a previous trip. Additionally, there existed a desire to test me and my new STOL airplane on the more challenging strip, as I desired to learn bush operations. After 3 low passes, I set up for final and executed a landing to be proud of. We taxied to the end of the strip and to one of the many tie-downs provided. At that point we were greeted by a ranger, who informed us that we had just landed on an 'X'-closed strip. Sure enough, a short walk revealed 3 paint-on-packed-earth white X's, in various states of decay from age and possible runovers by other airplanes. A much larger and obvious X of white painted rocks existed at the threshold. The ranger proceeded to write me a ticket. The lessons from this experience include the obvious remedial reinforcing the meaning of white X's on an airstrip. The much more significant lessons, however, concern human factors -- selective perception and dependence. I obviously must have seen the white X's with my eyes, yet not acknowledged in my mind. My perception was focused on physical dangers, not regulatory matters. Additionally, I was probably dependent on my senior passenger to alert me to any reason not to land on the strip. The obvious corrective action is to assume full responsibility for my actions, regardless of the quality of the passenger. As a side note, there are no NOTAMS of the airstrip closure, including a check of older local NOTAMS, available from either the oakland or riverside FSS's. Saline valley is not listed in the AFD. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the ticket was a national park service ticket from the united states district court. He paid a fine and was allowed to remain overnight as it would have been dangerous to take off. When inquiring about WX with FSS prior to the flight, it was indicated that the FAA knew nothing about this airport. Reporter does not know specifically why it was closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF MAULE MXT7-180A LANDS AT CLOSED ARPT AND IS TICKETED BY PARK RANGER. THIS ARPT IS NOT SHOWN ON SECTIONAL CHART AND IS UNKNOWN TO FSS.

Narrative: MY PAX AND I FLYING FOR A CAMPING TRIP TO SALINE VALLEY HOT SPRINGS, NEAR DEATH VALLEY, CA. WX WAS CLR WITH LIGHT WINDS. 2 LNDG STRIPS EXISTED -- A CONVENIENT BUT ROUGH DIRT STRIP NEAR THE HOT SPRINGS, OR THE 'CHICKEN STRIP' FURTHER AWAY AT THE BASE OF A HILL. MY PAX, AN EXPERIENCED BUSH PLT AND MENTOR FOR BUSH OPS, HAD MADE NUMEROUS FLYING TRIPS TO THIS DEST IN THE PAST DECADE. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME. WE INSPECTED BOTH STRIPS FROM THE AIR, CONCLUDING THE PREVAILING WINDS, ALBEIT LIGHT, FAVORED THE CLOSE-IN STRIP. MY PAX HAD HAD EXPERIENCE WITH WIND ROTORS AT THE CHICKEN STRIP BECAUSE OF THE HILL ON A PREVIOUS TRIP. ADDITIONALLY, THERE EXISTED A DESIRE TO TEST ME AND MY NEW STOL AIRPLANE ON THE MORE CHALLENGING STRIP, AS I DESIRED TO LEARN BUSH OPS. AFTER 3 LOW PASSES, I SET UP FOR FINAL AND EXECUTED A LNDG TO BE PROUD OF. WE TAXIED TO THE END OF THE STRIP AND TO ONE OF THE MANY TIE-DOWNS PROVIDED. AT THAT POINT WE WERE GREETED BY A RANGER, WHO INFORMED US THAT WE HAD JUST LANDED ON AN 'X'-CLOSED STRIP. SURE ENOUGH, A SHORT WALK REVEALED 3 PAINT-ON-PACKED-EARTH WHITE X'S, IN VARIOUS STATES OF DECAY FROM AGE AND POSSIBLE RUNOVERS BY OTHER AIRPLANES. A MUCH LARGER AND OBVIOUS X OF WHITE PAINTED ROCKS EXISTED AT THE THRESHOLD. THE RANGER PROCEEDED TO WRITE ME A TICKET. THE LESSONS FROM THIS EXPERIENCE INCLUDE THE OBVIOUS REMEDIAL REINFORCING THE MEANING OF WHITE X'S ON AN AIRSTRIP. THE MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT LESSONS, HOWEVER, CONCERN HUMAN FACTORS -- SELECTIVE PERCEPTION AND DEPENDENCE. I OBVIOUSLY MUST HAVE SEEN THE WHITE X'S WITH MY EYES, YET NOT ACKNOWLEDGED IN MY MIND. MY PERCEPTION WAS FOCUSED ON PHYSICAL DANGERS, NOT REGULATORY MATTERS. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS PROBABLY DEPENDENT ON MY SENIOR PAX TO ALERT ME TO ANY REASON NOT TO LAND ON THE STRIP. THE OBVIOUS CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS, REGARDLESS OF THE QUALITY OF THE PAX. AS A SIDE NOTE, THERE ARE NO NOTAMS OF THE AIRSTRIP CLOSURE, INCLUDING A CHK OF OLDER LCL NOTAMS, AVAILABLE FROM EITHER THE OAKLAND OR RIVERSIDE FSS'S. SALINE VALLEY IS NOT LISTED IN THE AFD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE TICKET WAS A NATIONAL PARK SVC TICKET FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT. HE PAID A FINE AND WAS ALLOWED TO REMAIN OVERNIGHT AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS TO TAKE OFF. WHEN INQUIRING ABOUT WX WITH FSS PRIOR TO THE FLT, IT WAS INDICATED THAT THE FAA KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS ARPT. RPTR DOES NOT KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHY IT WAS CLOSED.

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.