An M20P pilot, encountered deteriorating WX, landing on a closed runway.

Attributes
ACN	533097
Time
Date	200112
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	OK
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 E Super 21
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 630 flight time type : 425
ASRS Report	533097
Person 2
Function	oversight : airport manager
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other incursion : runway inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On the morning of dec/tue/01, I made a business trip from arkadelphia, ar, to hot springs, ar, and on to durant, ok. On my return flight that afternoon, a front was coming through and the WX deteriorated. I had already deviated my route to avoid mountainous terrain by flying a more southerly route. The ceiling went from 3500 ft to below 2000 ft, and I decided it would be prudent to land at the closest airport in the interest of flight safety, which happened to be at hugo, ok. Upon arriving there, I noticed the airport runway was closed by 'X' on each end. I did a low level fly-by and observed that the asphalt runway was clear and in good condition, so I landed there to avoid any risk of continuing the flight in deteriorating WX conditions. I spent the night there, and, due to bad WX the next day, rented a car and drove home. Later I received permission from the airport manager to use the runway to take off in order to return the aircraft to its home base.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN M20P PLT, ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX, LNDG ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF DEC/TUE/01, I MADE A BUSINESS TRIP FROM ARKADELPHIA, AR, TO HOT SPRINGS, AR, AND ON TO DURANT, OK. ON MY RETURN FLT THAT AFTERNOON, A FRONT WAS COMING THROUGH AND THE WX DETERIORATED. I HAD ALREADY DEVIATED MY RTE TO AVOID MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN BY FLYING A MORE SOUTHERLY RTE. THE CEILING WENT FROM 3500 FT TO BELOW 2000 FT, AND I DECIDED IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO LAND AT THE CLOSEST ARPT IN THE INTEREST OF FLT SAFETY, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE AT HUGO, OK. UPON ARRIVING THERE, I NOTICED THE ARPT RWY WAS CLOSED BY 'X' ON EACH END. I DID A LOW LEVEL FLY-BY AND OBSERVED THAT THE ASPHALT RWY WAS CLR AND IN GOOD CONDITION, SO I LANDED THERE TO AVOID ANY RISK OF CONTINUING THE FLT IN DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS. I SPENT THE NIGHT THERE, AND, DUE TO BAD WX THE NEXT DAY, RENTED A CAR AND DROVE HOME. LATER I RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM THE ARPT MGR TO USE THE RWY TO TAKE OFF IN ORDER TO RETURN THE ACFT TO ITS HOME BASE.

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.