Pilot of a cpr small transport turboprop took off on a closed runway.

Attributes
ACN	438840
Time
Date	199906
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tcl.airport
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mke.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 5061 flight time type : 1225
ASRS Report	438840
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On the morning of jun/xa/99 at XX45, I departed runway 11 at tcl on a regular cpr business flight. On departure, a member of the airport's fire department radioed to tell us that runway 11 is closed for departures when the tower is closed. We obviously were unaware of this. Subsequent follow-up with the tower on jun/xb/99 confirmed the runway closure. The closure is noted on the airport information charts in the notes. We use runway 11 for departure often when the tower is open. It never was a question in our minds that we could use it before they open. Obviously a closer reading of my charts would have prevented this. A sign at the runway end would be even more helpful. It would also be impossible to miss.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CPR SMT TURBOPROP TOOK OFF ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUN/XA/99 AT XX45, I DEPARTED RWY 11 AT TCL ON A REGULAR CPR BUSINESS FLT. ON DEP, A MEMBER OF THE ARPT'S FIRE DEPT RADIOED TO TELL US THAT RWY 11 IS CLOSED FOR DEPS WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED. WE OBVIOUSLY WERE UNAWARE OF THIS. SUBSEQUENT FOLLOW-UP WITH THE TWR ON JUN/XB/99 CONFIRMED THE RWY CLOSURE. THE CLOSURE IS NOTED ON THE ARPT INFO CHARTS IN THE NOTES. WE USE RWY 11 FOR DEP OFTEN WHEN THE TWR IS OPEN. IT NEVER WAS A QUESTION IN OUR MINDS THAT WE COULD USE IT BEFORE THEY OPEN. OBVIOUSLY A CLOSER READING OF MY CHARTS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. A SIGN AT THE RWY END WOULD BE EVEN MORE HELPFUL. IT WOULD ALSO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS.

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.