What happened
America West Airlines Flight 166, operated by a Boeing 737, departed Phoenix, Arizona, with an intended destination of Durango, Colorado. The flight was conducting an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 02 at Durango under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).
During the final phase of the approach, the captain maintained a crab angle of 10 to 15 degrees to stay aligned with the localizer course. The aircraft touched down approximately 1,000 to 1,300 feet from the runway threshold. Upon touchdown, the speedbrakes deployed automatically as designed.
Shortly after landing, the aircraft began to drift toward the left side of the runway centerline. In response, the captain applied right rudder and utilized right nosewheel steering controls; however, these inputs did not correct the drift. The crew did not employ reverse thrust during this sequence.
Approximately 3,000 feet from the runway threshold, the left main landing gear sank into soft snow located along the edge of the runway. This caused the aircraft to veer further to the left before coming to a complete halt.