On January 9, 1985, a Cessna 310Q (registration N7513Q) was involved in an aviation accident near Plato Center, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to see and avoid a snowbank during landing in low visibility conditions, which resulted in a nose gear collapse. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Aircraft contacted a snowbank near the end of the runway during landing in low visibility conditions, resulting in nose gear collapse and damage.
What happened
The aircraft experienced a nose gear collapse during the landing phase. The pilot reported that while on final approach, the airplane struck a snowbank measuring three to four feet high located near the end of the runway. This impact caused the failure of the nose landing gear. The pilot noted that the snowbank was difficult to see due to overcast skies and dusk lighting conditions.
Findings
Nose gear collapse
Contact with a 3-4 ft high snowbank near the runway end
Difficulty seeing the obstacle due to overcast and dusk light conditions
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to see and avoid a snowbank during landing in low visibility conditions, which resulted in a nose gear collapse.