Private pilot of a beech BE35 learned that an airport at which he intended to land was closed when c...

Attributes
ACN	490030
Time
Date	200010
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lbx.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 422 flight time type : 55
ASRS Report	490030
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During an afternoon flight home while descending to land at brazonia county airport (lbx) I made a radio call on unicom that I was 5 mi west inbound for landing. A person replied on unicom that the airport was closed due to work being performed on the runway, and that it would remain closed until later that evening. This was a surprise to me and to a pilot passenger who flew out of the airport the day before. I stopped my descent and continued the flight home without incident. I obtained an outlook WX briefing the night before my flight, and a complete WX briefing that morning. In both briefings the FSS specialist told me of several NOTAMS concerning my final destination. However, in neither briefing did the FSS specialist mention any NOTAMS concerning lbx. I spoke with an FSS specialist the next day concerning the runway/airport closure. There are several factors which may have contributed to not being informed of any NOTAMS concerning lbx. This specialist checked and the NOTAM he found said 'runway 17/35 is closed.' runway 17/35 is the airport's only runway, but an FSS specialist who is not familiar with lbx may believe it has more than one runway and is still open to aircraft. This specialist also said the NOTAM did not contain a specific date and time, nor an expiration date. Finally, the FSS specialists from whom I obtained my WX briefings may have misunderstood that I intended to land at lbx, he/she may have thought it only a chkpoint along my route of flight and thus not felt the need to tell me about any NOTAMS concerning the airport. Pilots need to make certain that the FSS specialist knows which airports along our intended route are chkpoints and which are where we intend to land (to pick up passenger, get fuel, etc). Otherwise we may not be told of all applicable NOTAMS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A BEECH BE35 LEARNED THAT AN ARPT AT WHICH HE INTENDED TO LAND WAS CLOSED WHEN CHKING WITH UNICOM DURING DSCNT EVEN THOUGH HE HAD RECEIVED AN FSS BRIEFING THE NIGHT BEFORE.

Narrative: DURING AN AFTERNOON FLT HOME WHILE DSNDING TO LAND AT BRAZONIA COUNTY ARPT (LBX) I MADE A RADIO CALL ON UNICOM THAT I WAS 5 MI W INBOUND FOR LNDG. A PERSON REPLIED ON UNICOM THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED DUE TO WORK BEING PERFORMED ON THE RWY, AND THAT IT WOULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL LATER THAT EVENING. THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ME AND TO A PLT PAX WHO FLEW OUT OF THE ARPT THE DAY BEFORE. I STOPPED MY DSCNT AND CONTINUED THE FLT HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. I OBTAINED AN OUTLOOK WX BRIEFING THE NIGHT BEFORE MY FLT, AND A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING THAT MORNING. IN BOTH BRIEFINGS THE FSS SPECIALIST TOLD ME OF SEVERAL NOTAMS CONCERNING MY FINAL DEST. HOWEVER, IN NEITHER BRIEFING DID THE FSS SPECIALIST MENTION ANY NOTAMS CONCERNING LBX. I SPOKE WITH AN FSS SPECIALIST THE NEXT DAY CONCERNING THE RWY/ARPT CLOSURE. THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO NOT BEING INFORMED OF ANY NOTAMS CONCERNING LBX. THIS SPECIALIST CHKED AND THE NOTAM HE FOUND SAID 'RWY 17/35 IS CLOSED.' RWY 17/35 IS THE ARPT'S ONLY RWY, BUT AN FSS SPECIALIST WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH LBX MAY BELIEVE IT HAS MORE THAN ONE RWY AND IS STILL OPEN TO ACFT. THIS SPECIALIST ALSO SAID THE NOTAM DID NOT CONTAIN A SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME, NOR AN EXPIRATION DATE. FINALLY, THE FSS SPECIALISTS FROM WHOM I OBTAINED MY WX BRIEFINGS MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THAT I INTENDED TO LAND AT LBX, HE/SHE MAY HAVE THOUGHT IT ONLY A CHKPOINT ALONG MY RTE OF FLT AND THUS NOT FELT THE NEED TO TELL ME ABOUT ANY NOTAMS CONCERNING THE ARPT. PLTS NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE FSS SPECIALIST KNOWS WHICH ARPTS ALONG OUR INTENDED RTE ARE CHKPOINTS AND WHICH ARE WHERE WE INTEND TO LAND (TO PICK UP PAX, GET FUEL, ETC). OTHERWISE WE MAY NOT BE TOLD OF ALL APPLICABLE NOTAMS.

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.

Private pilot of a beech BE35 learned that an airport at which he intended to land was closed when checking with unicom during descent even though he had received an FSS briefing the night before.