What happened
The crew of an SA-227 Commuter airliner experienced a loss of directional control shortly after landing. The aircraft touched down on a runway covered with snow that was reportedly between five and ten inches deep. Prior to the landing, the crew had requested a current snow-depth report from airport authorities. This information was relayed to them by an airport snowplow operator through the airline's operations personnel at that time.
Despite receiving this update, the aircraft drifted off the right side of the runway. The excursion resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the conditions present during the landing and the communication regarding snow depth. It was determined that the actual snow depth on the runway surface was significantly greater than the one-inch report provided to the crew via the airline's operations personnel.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the incident was the discrepancy between the reported snow depth and the actual conditions on the runway. The crew relied on information that did not accurately reflect the hazardous surface conditions, leading to the loss of control and subsequent runway excursion.