What happened
The accident occurred during the takeoff roll of a light aircraft on a runway covered by fresh snowfall. According to the pilot, approximately two to three inches of new snow had accumulated overnight, and the runway had not been plowed prior to departure. This condition made it difficult for the pilot to visually determine the position of the centerline, as the runway edge lights were displaced approximately 15 feet from either side of the actual pavement.
During acceleration for takeoff, the pilot reported feeling the left main landing gear move off the left side of the runway. Upon realizing the aircraft was leaving the paved surface, the pilot reduced engine power in an attempt to stop or correct the trajectory. However, by this time, the left main gear had already entered soft ground, which pulled the aircraft further off the runway.
The aircraft continued its path into a cornfield adjacent to the airfield. The nose gear struck a furrow in the field, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear assembly. No other structural damage or injuries were reported beyond the gear failure.
The investigation
Investigation of the incident focused on the environmental conditions and the aircraft's interaction with the terrain during the aborted takeoff. The primary finding was that the lack of runway maintenance, specifically plowing, combined with displaced lighting, significantly degraded the pilot's ability to maintain centerline tracking. The soft ground off the runway edge provided insufficient support for the landing gear, leading to the mechanical failure of the nose gear upon impact with the field furrow.
Findings
Contributing factors to this accident included:
- Unplowed runway conditions resulting in reduced visibility of the centerline and pavement edges.
- Displaced runway lighting, which failed to accurately indicate the true boundaries of the usable runway surface.
- Soft ground off the runway edge, which caused the landing gear to sink and pull the aircraft further off course once it left the pavement.
The pilot's decision to continue the takeoff roll on a snow-covered, unplowed surface without clear visual references for the centerline was a critical element in the loss of directional control.