Narrative:

The flight was planned as a local flight within 20 mi of the origination airport. I did not call flight service. I did not file a flight plan. I usually call flight service before flts. However, I did not on this beautiful day, planning to stay so close to home. We were practicing simulated engine failures in the vicinity of a small local airport with a turf runway. Before conducting the simulated engine failure practice, I announced our position and intention over the CTAF. There was no traffic in the area of the airport. After completing the maneuver (simulated engine out approach for landing), we performed a go around at approximately 40 ft AGL. I announced our go around on the CTAF. On climb out, my passenger and I discussed soft field landing and takeoff technique. He had never experienced a landing on a turf runway. I asked if he would like to land on the turf field. He agreed and we decided to land at the airport. I checked the AFD for information on the airport, specifically looking for airport closure information. I found none. The field appeared in good condition upon inspection during the go around, and concluded that it would be alright to perform a landing. As stated above, I did not call flight service to check NOTAMS. We landed on the field (which was in good condition) and announced a taxi-back over the CTAF. At that time, an unidentified man called over the CTAF, presumably from the field, and stated, 'did you know the airport is closed?' I responded that I was not and that we had not called flight service for NOTAMS. I apologized for the inconvenience. The unidentified caller stated, 'ok.' we completed the taxi-back, turned for departure, and I announced over the CTAF our departure and another apology for the trouble. We departed the area and returned to our home airport without incident. I could have avoided this problem if I had called flight service before deciding to land at the airport. I did check for closure information in the AFD, but did not think to call flight service for information. In the event I had called flight service, I still might have encountered the problem as our landing at the turf field airport was not planned. I would not have had the NOTAM information for that airport from the preflight briefing. However, I should have called from the air. In the future, I will call flight service, before every flight, regardless of the nature of the flight. In addition, I will call flight service from the air to check NOTAMS before deciding on a whim to land at an airport not planned as part of the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TURF RWY LNDG BY A PA28-161 TRAINING FLT AT A CLOSED ARPT, 7Y7, MN.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS PLANNED AS A LCL FLT WITHIN 20 MI OF THE ORIGINATION ARPT. I DID NOT CALL FLT SVC. I DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN. I USUALLY CALL FLT SVC BEFORE FLTS. HOWEVER, I DID NOT ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY, PLANNING TO STAY SO CLOSE TO HOME. WE WERE PRACTICING SIMULATED ENG FAILURES IN THE VICINITY OF A SMALL LCL ARPT WITH A TURF RWY. BEFORE CONDUCTING THE SIMULATED ENG FAILURE PRACTICE, I ANNOUNCED OUR POS AND INTENTION OVER THE CTAF. THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA OF THE ARPT. AFTER COMPLETING THE MANEUVER (SIMULATED ENG OUT APCH FOR LNDG), WE PERFORMED A GAR AT APPROX 40 FT AGL. I ANNOUNCED OUR GAR ON THE CTAF. ON CLBOUT, MY PAX AND I DISCUSSED SOFT FIELD LNDG AND TKOF TECHNIQUE. HE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED A LNDG ON A TURF RWY. I ASKED IF HE WOULD LIKE TO LAND ON THE TURF FIELD. HE AGREED AND WE DECIDED TO LAND AT THE ARPT. I CHKED THE AFD FOR INFO ON THE ARPT, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR ARPT CLOSURE INFO. I FOUND NONE. THE FIELD APPEARED IN GOOD CONDITION UPON INSPECTION DURING THE GAR, AND CONCLUDED THAT IT WOULD BE ALRIGHT TO PERFORM A LNDG. AS STATED ABOVE, I DID NOT CALL FLT SVC TO CHK NOTAMS. WE LANDED ON THE FIELD (WHICH WAS IN GOOD CONDITION) AND ANNOUNCED A TAXI-BACK OVER THE CTAF. AT THAT TIME, AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN CALLED OVER THE CTAF, PRESUMABLY FROM THE FIELD, AND STATED, 'DID YOU KNOW THE ARPT IS CLOSED?' I RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT AND THAT WE HAD NOT CALLED FLT SVC FOR NOTAMS. I APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. THE UNIDENTIFIED CALLER STATED, 'OK.' WE COMPLETED THE TAXI-BACK, TURNED FOR DEP, AND I ANNOUNCED OVER THE CTAF OUR DEP AND ANOTHER APOLOGY FOR THE TROUBLE. WE DEPARTED THE AREA AND RETURNED TO OUR HOME ARPT WITHOUT INCIDENT. I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS PROB IF I HAD CALLED FLT SVC BEFORE DECIDING TO LAND AT THE ARPT. I DID CHK FOR CLOSURE INFO IN THE AFD, BUT DID NOT THINK TO CALL FLT SVC FOR INFO. IN THE EVENT I HAD CALLED FLT SVC, I STILL MIGHT HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE PROB AS OUR LNDG AT THE TURF FIELD ARPT WAS NOT PLANNED. I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE NOTAM INFO FOR THAT ARPT FROM THE PREFLT BRIEFING. HOWEVER, I SHOULD HAVE CALLED FROM THE AIR. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CALL FLT SVC, BEFORE EVERY FLT, REGARDLESS OF THE NATURE OF THE FLT. IN ADDITION, I WILL CALL FLT SVC FROM THE AIR TO CHK NOTAMS BEFORE DECIDING ON A WHIM TO LAND AT AN ARPT NOT PLANNED AS PART OF THE FLT.

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.