What happened
The incident occurred during the initial phase of flight at an airport where runway 32 was active for departures. As the aircraft accelerated down the runway for takeoff, the pilot reported encountering apparent windshear and turbulence. Rather than continuing the takeoff roll to achieve safe flying speed, the pilot made the decision to abort the maneuver and attempt to land straight ahead.
During this aborted takeoff sequence, the aircraft crossed over the edge of the paved surface. As it transitioned from the runway onto the surrounding terrain, a wing tip and the landing gear contacted a snowbank. The aircraft then skidded across crusty snow before coming to a complete stop approximately 50 feet off the left side of the runway.
The investigation
The primary focus of the factual narrative centers on the pilot's decision-making process during the critical takeoff phase. The investigation noted that the encounter with windshear and turbulence prompted the abort. The subsequent damage was attributed to the aircraft leaving the confines of the runway surface and interacting with the snow-covered ground off the left side.
Findings
The sequence of events highlights the risks associated with aborting a takeoff in adverse weather conditions near the end of the available runway distance. The contact with the snowbank resulted from the aircraft crossing the runway edge during the deceleration phase after the decision to land straight ahead was executed.