What happened
During a flight intended to deliver fuel oil to the village of Kivalina, a four-engine transport category airplane experienced a runway excursion upon arrival. Before touchdown, the pilot performed a low-level pass over the 3,000-foot by 60-foot airstrip to inspect the surface. During this inspection, the pilot observed patches of gravel visible through a thin layer of snow on the runway centerline, but did not observe any significant snow banks or deep accumulation in the landing zone. Additionally, no recent NOTAMs indicated the presence of snow berms on the strip.
As the aircraft touched down near the runway threshold on the centerline, the left main landing gear struck a snow berm that had not been previously identified. This impact caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the left. The plane subsequently struck additional snow berms on the left side of the runway, leading to the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Findings
Investigation into the incident highlighted that the Kivalina Airport, as noted in the U.S. Government's supplement for Alaska airports, is an unattended facility. The official documentation for this location warns that the runway condition is not monitored and recommends that pilots perform a visual inspection before use. The unmonitored runway condition was a critical factor, as the presence of the snow berm was unknown to the crew prior to the landing attempt.