On February 24, 1982, a Cessna 414 (registration N7812Q) operated by Tri State Airway was involved in an aviation accident near Bryan, OH. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in whiteout conditions with ice on the runway and windshield, compounded by unawareness of the narrow plowed strip width. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a dawn landing in whiteout conditions with ice on the windshield and runway, the pilot was unaware of the narrow plowed strip and drifted right into a snowbank.
What happened
The pilot reported executing a landing under extremely limited visibility conditions described as almost total whiteout. The event occurred at first light, complicating visual references further. Conditions included light ice accumulation on the windshield and the presence of both snow and ice on the runway surface.
Crucially, the pilot was unaware that only a 50-foot-wide strip had been plowed and cleared for operations on the runway. During the landing roll, the aircraft drifted to the right, deviating from the cleared path. The aircraft subsequently impacted a snowbank located just outside the plowed area.
Findings
The accident was primarily caused by whiteout conditions which severely degraded visual cues during the approach and landing phase. Contributing factors included ice on the windshield and the runway surface, as well as the pilot's lack of awareness regarding the limited width of the plowed runway strip.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in whiteout conditions with ice on the runway and windshield, compounded by unawareness of the narrow plowed strip width.