What happened
On February 16, 2009, an airline transport pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight under Part 91 regulations. Upon arriving at the destination airport in Soldotna, Alaska, the pilot encountered 3 to 4 inches of fresh snow. The pilot reported that overcast skies and low light levels created a gray appearance across the environment.
At the time of the landing, the Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) lights were inoperative, though a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had been issued regarding this status. After activating the runway lights, the pilot identified what he believed to be the runway surface and aligned the left edge lights of the runway to his left.
Upon touchdown, the pilot realized the Beech 65-A90-1, registration N418SP, had landed to the right of the actual runway surface, with the right-side edge lights positioned on his left. The aircraft settled into deep snow and struck a snowbank, which caused the landing gear to collapse. There were no injuries resulting from the accident, though the aircraft sustained structural damage to the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation noted that the pilot believed using a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) approach would have properly aligned the aircraft with the runway surface given the visibility and light conditions. There were no known mechanical issues with the aircraft prior to the event.