Incident Details
A non-instrument rated pilot reported that cloud ceiling and visibility began to deteriorate about 10 minutes after his departure on a 60 nautical mile cross-country flight. The pilot located the nearest airport, a snow-covered grass runway, and decided to land instead of continuing into the worsening weather. He circled the airport to check for obstructions on the runway. The runway had a 65-foot-wide plowed path bordered by snowdrifts.
During the landing rollout, the airplane veered to the left after encountering a low-lying snow bank that was obscured by drifting snow. The pilot attempted to regain directional control, but the nose landing gear separated from the airplane when it impacted a second snow bank. The airplane then turned 180 degrees and came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The nose landing gear and left wing were damaged during the accident.
Weather Conditions
Before departure, the pilot obtained weather information for the planned route using a commercial weather service. According to a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF), visual flight rules (VFR) conditions were expected for the duration of the flight. The nearest weather reporting station, located about 6 nautical miles south of the accident site, reported ground visibilities greater than 10 statute miles and cloud ceilings between 15,000 and 20,000 feet above ground level during the seven-hour period before the departure time. However, about 10 minutes after the departure time, the ground visibility had dropped to 1-3/4 statute miles and the cloud ceiling to 3,600 feet above ground level. The weather station reported light snow conditions in the area. The lower cloud ceilings and visibilities were not forecast to begin until after the accident flight was planned to reach its intended destination.