Incident Details
During a landing approach, the captain aligned the airplane with what he believed was the runway centerline. However, the airplane touched down in a snow field approximately 1,000 feet beyond the runway threshold and 25 feet to the right of the runway centerline. Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane then traveled through several snow berms, skidded back onto the runway, and came to a halt at the 4,000-foot marker.
Contributing Factors
The captain reported being unable to positively identify the runway environment because the snow-covered runway blended with the surrounding terrain. The runway had been plowed and swept, but the runway lights were covered with plowed snow and were not visible or operating. Excess snow and dirt had been dumped on the right side of the runway. At the time of the incident, the sun was bright and high in the sky. A NOTAM had been issued indicating that the runway was snow packed and covered with ice. Braking action was reported as "fair."