Overview
A night landing incident occurred when the pilot lost visual contact with the runway during the landing flare due to snow banks obscuring the runway lights. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway and into a snow bank, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Events
Before the landing, the pilot verified with an airport employee that the runway lights were operational. As the pilot initiated the landing flare on runway 26, the snow banks obscured the runway lights, leading to a loss of visual contact. The airplane landed and departed the runway, coming to rest in a snow bank.
The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane or its systems following the incident. However, according to multiple witnesses, the pilot informed them that his landing lights were not functional at the time of the landing.
Pre-existing Conditions
Several Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) had been issued prior to the accident. These NOTAMs addressed the presence of 4-foot snow banks on runway 8/26, 7-foot snow banks on runway 18/36, and the lack of braking action on runway 18/36. After the accident, the airport manager issued a NOTAM specifically about the obscured runway lights.