Introduction
A positioning flight ended with a runway overrun when the airplane touched down on a snow-covered runway. The subsequent impact with obstacles highlighted the challenges of landing on contaminated runways.
Flight Details
The pilot reported that during the approach, he observed a light dusting of snow on the runway. The airplane touched down on speed within the first 1,000 feet of the 4,100-foot-long runway. The copilot, who was pilot flying, applied heavy braking, but the airplane did not slow as expected, with no apparent braking effectiveness.
Accident Sequence
As the airplane progressed down the runway, the pilot recognized at about two-thirds of the runway length that a runway overrun was imminent due to the loss of only half of its airspeed. He considered aborting the landing, believing there was a small chance the airplane could become airborne within the remaining runway. The copilot added engine power to abort, and the nose landing gear lifted off, but insufficient runway remained to complete the takeoff. The copilot then reduced engine power to idle, and the airplane overran the runway, going through the airport fence and a guardrail, across a highway, and into a field.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination revealed no flat spots or evidence of skidding on the landing gear tires. The flaps were found in the “ground flaps” position, which is not allowed for takeoff. No evidence of any pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation was found. Based on an airplane weight of 11,000 lbs, the stopping distance would have been about 4,400 feet, exceeding the available runway length.
Probable Cause
The flight crew's improper decision to land on a snow-covered runway that had insufficient runway distance for the airplane to land with the contamination resulted in a runway overrun and impact with obstacles.