Incident Overview
An airline transport pilot was landing a twin-engine airplane on a 4,100-foot-long, snow-covered gravel runway oriented east-west. The airport is surrounded by mountains except to the east, necessitating that arriving aircraft use the westerly runway and departing aircraft use the easterly runway.
Approach and Landing
Prior to landing, the pilot reported winds from the east at 17 knots with peak gusts to 29 knots. To avoid turbulence on approach, he selected a touchdown point approximately midway on the runway. Just before touchdown, a strong gust lifted the airplane and carried it farther down the runway than anticipated.
Runway Overrun
Lacking sufficient room to execute a successful go-around, the pilot landed the airplane on the remaining runway and applied heavy braking. The airplane overran the end of the runway and struck a snow bank, resulting in structural damage to the fuselage.
Mechanical Status
The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.