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A PA31 pilot lands at rapid city airport after he is advised that the airport was closed. The tower operators had gone home.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 430410 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rap.airport |
| State Reference | SD |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Snow |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 32 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi landing : roll |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 430410 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : landed in emergency condition none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airport |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
On an IFR flight plan from cdr to rap on mar/xa/99 in the afternoon, ZDV advised me that the rapid city airport was closed. I continued on to rap. I contacted ellsworth approach. They advised me the airport was closed and tower personnel had gone home. I contacted airport maintenance on tower frequency 118.7. They advised me airport closed for snow removal, runway 32 plowed, all equipment on the ramps, land at my own risk! I contacted FBO unicom 122.95. They advised one of our airplanes had just departed, also a lear. I contacted our other phone, received runway and taxiway condition. Went back to airport maintenance, condition still the same. Received approach clearance from ellsworth approach ILS runway 32 back to 118.7 runway in sight, 700-800 ft, 2-3 mi. Landed, taxied in to FBO, no problems. I was advised I couldn't land on a closed airport. WX condition south and east were going down (getting worse). As PIC I thought I did the correct thing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA31 PLT LANDS AT RAPID CITY ARPT AFTER HE IS ADVISED THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. THE TWR OPERATORS HAD GONE HOME.
Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM CDR TO RAP ON MAR/XA/99 IN THE AFTERNOON, ZDV ADVISED ME THAT THE RAPID CITY ARPT WAS CLOSED. I CONTINUED ON TO RAP. I CONTACTED ELLSWORTH APCH. THEY ADVISED ME THE ARPT WAS CLOSED AND TWR PERSONNEL HAD GONE HOME. I CONTACTED ARPT MAINT ON TWR FREQ 118.7. THEY ADVISED ME ARPT CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL, RWY 32 PLOWED, ALL EQUIP ON THE RAMPS, LAND AT MY OWN RISK! I CONTACTED FBO UNICOM 122.95. THEY ADVISED ONE OF OUR AIRPLANES HAD JUST DEPARTED, ALSO A LEAR. I CONTACTED OUR OTHER PHONE, RECEIVED RWY AND TXWY CONDITION. WENT BACK TO ARPT MAINT, CONDITION STILL THE SAME. RECEIVED APCH CLRNC FROM ELLSWORTH APCH ILS RWY 32 BACK TO 118.7 RWY IN SIGHT, 700-800 FT, 2-3 MI. LANDED, TAXIED IN TO FBO, NO PROBS. I WAS ADVISED I COULDN'T LAND ON A CLOSED ARPT. WX CONDITION S AND E WERE GOING DOWN (GETTING WORSE). AS PIC I THOUGHT I DID THE CORRECT THING.
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.