Incident Overview
During a nighttime approach and landing to runway 25, the co-pilot was at the controls. A NOTAM had been issued indicating "thin loose snow over patchy thin ice" on the runway. No runway condition reports were received by the flight crew while airborne.
Landing and Runway Overrun
After touchdown, the co-pilot reported that the airplane was sliding and the wheel brakes were ineffective. The captain took control, activated the air brakes, and instructed the co-pilot to deploy the drag chute. Despite these actions, the crew could not stop the airplane within the remaining runway distance, and it overran the runway by approximately 100 feet.
Post-Overrun Events
Following the runway departure, the landing gear contacted a snow berm that had resulted from earlier plowing. The captain then turned the airplane around and taxied to the ramp. A subsequent inspection revealed a fractured nose gear strut and buckling of the fuselage.
Drag Chute Failure
Examination of the drag chute system showed that the spring-loaded extractor cap activated, but the parachute remained inside its tail cone container. The reason for the drag chute's failure to deploy was not determined.
Runway Conditions and Airport Operations
Both flight crewmembers reported that the runway was icy at the time of the accident and that braking action was "nil." The airport manager stated that no airport staff were on duty at the time of landing and had not been for several hours. He noted that when the staff left for the evening, the runway conditions were adequate. The runway had been plowed and sanded approximately 20 hours prior to the accident, and sanded two more times during the day. No measurable precipitation was recorded within that time frame.