Accident Details
The pilot reported arriving at the airport at night, where snow showers were present. While turning final approach, he turned on the landing lights. However, he found that visibility improved with the lights off and subsequently switched them off. After touchdown on the grass runway, he decided to slow down and perform a 180-degree turn to taxi back down the runway toward the terminal building.
During the landing roll, the pilot moved the aircraft to the left side of the runway, toward a ditch that protruded 26 feet inside the runway lights. The ditch was located approximately 1,654 feet from the approach end of the runway, where a stream crossed through a culvert beneath the runway. There were indications that the ditch had eroded inside the runway lights after the airport was certified.
Six yellow halves of 55-gallon drums were used to mark the obstruction, but they were not lighted. As the pilot was slowing near the left side of the runway, the left main gear and nosewheel dropped into the ditch.