Incident Overview
A pilot flying a single-engine airplane experienced a directional control issue during the landing rollout on a snow-covered runway. The airplane subsequently left the runway and struck a snowbank, resulting in damage to the right wing.
Sequence of Events
The pilot had flown the airplane into the departure airport earlier that day and placed it in a hangar. Later, the pilot returned and performed a preflight inspection. At 1453, the wind at the airport was from 260 degrees at 5 knots. After starting the engine inside the hangar, the pilot taxied to runway 30, which measured 5,600 feet long and 100 feet wide and was covered with 1 inch of snow. The pilot reported that the rudder pedals steered the airplane normally during taxi.
About 5 minutes after takeoff, the cabin door opened approximately 1/4 inch. The pilot decided to return and land on the same runway, which remained snow-covered. During the landing rollout, the pilot noticed the airplane pulling slightly to the left, which he attributed to a stuck left main landing gear wheel. He applied right rudder to maintain runway centerline, but as the airplane slowed, the leftward pull increased. The pilot did not reduce or shut down the engine power; instead, he increased engine rpm to 1,200 in an attempt to improve rudder effectiveness. He also did not apply the right brake to counter the leftward movement.
Aftermath
The airplane left the runway and impacted a snowbank. The collision damaged the right wing tip and outboard section of the wing. The outboard section exhibited a deformation of the upper wing skin oriented approximately 45 degrees relative to the wing span axis. The airplane was equipped with landing gear wheel fairings. The pilot reported that the left main landing gear wheel plowed through the snow and did not rotate during the landing. The pilot and the passenger were uninjured.