Landing on a closed runway

J

JohnWF

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
194
Display Name
John at Salida
At KANK they are seal-coating the runway/taxiway/ramp and have had a NOTAM out for days closing down the only runway. Also BIG, really BIG "x-s" on ends of the only runway.

So far three planes have landed on the closed runway. Today a LOCAL pilot landed on the closed runway...seal-coat dry but no stripes yet ..when confronted by the airport manager he claimed he only saw the X-s when he flared and besides he said he had an emergency. (False)

This is really sorry.
 
Welcome to the real world. Where people make mistakes. Not you of course, but you know "other" people.
 
Ours was closed for almost 2 months for resurfacing. Did not hear of anyone landing on it.
 
"Alexander traffic, spamcan 345 landing runway -- ten, Alexander."
 
Our local airport is doing the same thing, repaving the runway. They will issue NOTAMs but will also allow small aircraft to take off and land on the parallel taxiway during daytime.

Your crazy pilot is nothing new. There are some out there. I would have loved to see him bury it in 1" of fresh tar. :D
 
JohnWF said:
At KANK they are seal-coating the runway/taxiway/ramp and have had a NOTAM out for days closing down the only runway. Also BIG, really BIG "x-s" on ends of the only runway.

So far three planes have landed on the closed runway. Today a LOCAL pilot landed on the closed runway...seal-coat dry but no stripes yet ..when confronted by the airport manager he claimed he only saw the X-s when he flared and besides he said he had an emergency. (False)

This is really sorry.
Click to expand...
Is he a U.S. Senator?
 
There's a field out here in FL, X07 (lake wales). They've had X's painted on runway 6/24 for a while now, nothing is notam'd about the field or that runway being closed. People land on it all the time.

Google Earth still has the X's on X07 too..always made me wonder if those were for something else or someone just never removed them..
 
JohnWF said:
At KANK they are seal-coating the runway/taxiway/ramp and have had a NOTAM out for days closing down the only runway. Also BIG, really BIG "x-s" on ends of the only runway.

So far three planes have landed on the closed runway. Today a LOCAL pilot landed on the closed runway...seal-coat dry but no stripes yet ..when confronted by the airport manager he claimed he only saw the X-s when he flared and besides he said he had an emergency. (False)

This is really sorry.
Click to expand...

How do you know his emergency was false?
 
The FAA only cares if it rises to the level of reckless and dangerous. Landing on closed runways is NOT illegal by the FARs. It is almost always something that is acted upon by the local authorities (airport owner, etc...).

Years ago we had a student pilot land on our airport. Not only was the runway X'd out (and she was lucky she didn't hit the trench cut across the runway which was the reason it was closed), but the airport was an Army air field in the middle of a restricted area.

My favorite story is the time a local airport was notam'd closed until 4PM. A Bonanza pilot checks his watch, see's it's 4:01 and heads out and takes off, narrowly avoiding the guy picking up the X off the runway. No matter what the NOTAM says, it ain't open until the guy with the X gets off the runway.
 
Last edited:
There are different definitions of closed runways. In the example? I don't buy that a pilot missed construction Xs. On the other hand sometimes a runway hasn't been plowed and is notam closed but I can legally use it at my own risk. Tower is cooperative but they can't issue a landing or takeoff clearance.
 
Pilawt said:
If there is 'X' on one end of the runway, shouldn't there be "XXVIII" on the other ... ?

:P
Click to expand...



-Picard-Facepalm-GIF.gif



Lol
 
Caramon13 said:
There's a field out here in FL, X07 (lake wales). They've had X's painted on runway 6/24 for a while now, nothing is notam'd about the field or that runway being closed. People land on it all the time.

Google Earth still has the X's on X07 too..always made me wonder if those were for something else or someone just never removed them..
Click to expand...

I see old faded former X's on the runway that were removed on google as of right now.
 
When KCWS closed, I mean completely closed for good, never to open again, Xs on runway, lighted and flashing, some dumb ass in a King Air landed and loaded up a PAX then bailed as quick as he came in. Im pretty sure they figured out who it was as this was a normal flight previously. However, this time it was a swoop and scoop. Yea, they knew it was closed.

Just cuz you burn kerosene, doesn't mean you made it to the big leagues mentally. You may have just been their last resort.
 
@anymouse - I'd HATE to fill those forms out -

betcha that was a 'lets see if we can make the first taxiway' . . .
 
aanderson81 said:
What are those pics from?
Click to expand...

Palmpilot said:
I found a page that has some information, as well as more photos:

http://www.cargolaw.com/2005nightmare_c130.html

(Scroll down about half-way.)
Click to expand...

comanchepilot said:
@anymouse - I'd HATE to fill those forms out -

betcha that was a 'lets see if we can make the first taxiway' . . .
Click to expand...

That incident was in Iraq. Apparently whoever "owned" the airfield decided to close the runway and do some maintenance on it, but never bothered to put out a NOTAM. This unfortunate crew was coming in at night with NVGs. Never saw the big square cut out.
 
Pilawt said:
If there is 'X' on one end of the runway, shouldn't there be "XXVIII" on the other ... ?

:P
Click to expand...

We had a rather crusty old airport manager that after the department of aero complained that he didn't have the runway numbers painted did so in roman numerals. Fortunately it was not runway 10. (18/36)
 
On the other hand, it has been decided that Super Bowl 50 will not be designated with a Roman numeral. I suppose they must have either thought "L" didn't look sexy enough, or that their audience wouldn't understand what it meant!
 
Palmpilot said:
On the other hand, it has been decided that Super Bowl 50 will not be designated with a Roman numeral. I suppose they must have either thought "L" didn't look sexy enough, or that their audience wouldn't understand what it meant!
Click to expand...

SUPERBOWLL
 
Silvaire said:
If you wanna put X's on the runway do it right :rolleyes2:

Meigs_Field_with_Xs_(AOPA%20photo).jpg
Click to expand...

That was done by a total dumba** overnight to spite pilots. And that dumba** was the local mayor who just had it out for GA and thought it was very dangerous ...... even more dangerous than bulldozing over an active runway at night and surprising unsuspecting pilots the hard way.
That mayor went down in flames, burning all the way to hell.
 
BigBadLou said:
That was done by a total dumba** overnight to spite pilots. And that dumba** was the local mayor who just had it out for GA and thought it was very dangerous ...... even more dangerous than bulldozing over an active runway at night and surprising unsuspecting pilots the hard way.
That mayor went down in flames, burning all the way to hell.
Click to expand...

Got a link on this?
 
Unit74 said:
And this guy is not in jail because?
Click to expand...
That's the million dollar question. He violated laws of many jurisdictions and nobody indicted. Friends in high places, I suppose.

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
 
JohnWF said:
At KANK they are seal-coating the runway/taxiway/ramp and have had a NOTAM out for days closing down the only runway. Also BIG, really BIG "x-s" on ends of the only runway.

So far three planes have landed on the closed runway. Today a LOCAL pilot landed on the closed runway...seal-coat dry but no stripes yet ..when confronted by the airport manager he claimed he only saw the X-s when he flared and besides he said he had an emergency. (False)

This is really sorry.
Click to expand...


It's the new Imhofe method.
 
mkosmo said:
That's the million dollar question. He violated laws of many jurisdictions and nobody indicted. Friends in high places, I suppose.

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Chicago politics. The whole state is run by Chicago. Corruption at it's finest, started by that mayors father.
 
Student pilot radio call, "Cessna N.... landing on runway X."

Actually happened at Sullivan MO KUUV last month with a closed runway.
 
Did anyone clue him in before he touched down?
 
He made three touch and goes and flew away. During the week of closed runways, three others landed. One carefully taxied around barriers to get fuel and then taxied back and took off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top