What happened
A commercial certificated pilot was flying a mission to deliver a barrel of aviation fuel to a remote airport for use on scheduled CFR Part 135 flights. Upon approaching the runway, the pilot observed snow drifts at the approach end and elected to over-fly the drifted area. The aircraft touched down approximately 1,000 feet from the approach end of the 6,250-foot runway.
Due to snow present on the remaining portion of the runway, the pilot maintained a higher roll-out speed than usual to prevent the aircraft from becoming stuck. During the landing roll, the pilot attempted to retard the engine throttle, but the engine idle remained at approximately 1,500 rpm. As the end of the runway approached, the pilot applied the brakes but reported no braking action.
Faced with the approaching runway end, the pilot considered shutting off the engine and applying full brakes to slide off the runway, but instead applied full power for a go-around. Witnesses observed that as the aircraft reached within 300 feet of the runway end, the pilot added power. The airplane became momentarily airborne, reaching a height of about 18 inches, before colliding with a snow-covered gravel berm located outside the plowed area.
The impact caused the left wing to separate from the fuselage as the aircraft bounced upward. The aircraft subsequently caught fire and came to rest in an inverted position. Witnesses and pedestrians used fire extinguishers to assist in pulling the not injured pilot from the wreckage. The airplane was destroyed.
At the time of the accident, an FAA NOTAM indicated that the runway had patchy 1/2 inch of packed snow and ice, with a plowed width of 100 feet and 24-inch berms outside the plowed area.