Snow and Ice on Wings Contributed to Hard Field Landing (N6312E)

Incident Overview A pilot reported that she spent about 1.5 hours before the flight brushing snow from the leading edges of the airplane's wings, but left the remainder of snow pushed back on the wings. During takeoff, the airplane's stall horn activated at an altitude of 300 feet above ground level. The pilot lowered the nose to prevent a stall, but the horn continued to sound. She then made a 180-degree turn back toward the runway but was unable to reach it, resulting in a hard landing in a field adjacent to the airport. ## Observations and Pilot Statement A witness, identified as a Federal Aviation Administration Designated Pilot Examiner, saw the airplane taxiing through the ramp area and recalled that both wings were nearly covered with 4-inch tall chunks of snow and ice. The witness also reported that there was at least a 1/4-inch layer of ice and snow on the wings when she arrived at the accident scene. In a written statement, the pilot stated that she failed to adequately remove some snow from the top of the wings. ## Post-Accident Action After the accident, the pilot voluntarily sought and received training regarding frost, icing, and snow and its effects on aircraft performance.