Incident Details
A private pilot operating a tailwheel-configured airplane completed a landing on a runway. During the landing roll, the airplane unexpectedly drifted to the left, departed the prepared surface, and contacted a snowbank along the runway edge. The impact caused the airplane to nose over.
Pilot and Passenger Accounts
The pilot reported that during the landing, the right main wheel hydroplaned on the runway surface, while the left main wheel maintained traction and grabbed, causing the airplane to turn left. A pilot-rated passenger who was on board stated that he did not recall feeling any deceleration typical of braking action. Instead, he described the aircraft slowly drifting left until it contacted the snowbank on the side of the runway.
Runway Conditions
The pilot also noted that the runway, which had a total width of 75 feet, had been plowed to a width of only about 50 feet at the time of the incident. The reduced cleared width may have influenced the aircraft's proximity to the snowbank during the roll.