What happened
On February 27, 2010, a Cessna 340A, registration N1952E, landed on runway 28 at an airport in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Prior to landing, the pilot overflew the airport and observed what appeared to be a light coating of snow on the 4,500-foot asphalt runway.
Upon completing the landing, the pilot determined that the runway surface actually had approximately 1 to 1.5 inches of snow. Following the touchdown, the aircraft began to slide to the right, eventually departing the right side of the runway and striking a snow bank. The impact caused the aircraft to spin 180 degrees and resulted in substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. There were 3 minor injuries and 0 fatalities.
Findings
At the time of the accident, the airport was unattended, and no notices to airmen (NOTAMs) had been issued regarding the runway conditions. The pilot reported winds from 260 degrees at 10 to 15 knots, while official weather observations noted winds of 290 degrees at 13 knots with a visibility of 1 mile in VMC.