What happened
On April 12, 2008, an Embraer EMB-110P1, registration N62CZ, was involved in an accident during landing at Potsdam Municipal Airport (PTD) in Potsdam, New York. The flight, operated by Air Now under 14 CFR Part 135, had originated from Syracuse International Airport.
As the pilot performed a GPS Runway 24 approach, the aircraft was operating under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with visibility of 1.5 miles and mist. Upon breaking through the clouds, the pilot configured the aircraft by reducing airspeed to 100 knots and extending full flaps. As the aircraft crossed the runway threshold, the pilot initiated the landing flare, at which point the plane veered to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the deviation by steering to the right, but this overcorrection caused the right wingtip to strike the runway. Subsequently, the left main landing gear moved off the left side of the runway and into the turf, where it collapsed upon impacting the mud. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the accident site and the aircraft. Investigation of the runway revealed four white scratch marks, each approximately 20 feet long, located on the first 1,000 feet of Runway 24, left of the centerline. Approximately 15 feet beyond these marks, a trench matching the width of the main landing gear was found in the mud off the left side of the runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, specifically to the left wing spar. An examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies prior to the impact.