Accident Overview
A four-engine aircraft, after landing on a frozen lake that had been cleared of snow, departed the end of the runway. The event resulted in the loss of the right main landing gear, and the aircraft came to rest engulfed in flames. The three crew members aboard evacuated without injury. The aircraft sustained damage beyond economical repair.
Incident Details
The landing was performed on a frozen lake surface prepared as an ice strip, with snow cleared to create a runway. Following touchdown, the aircraft overran the runway end. During the overrun, the right main gear separated. The aircraft subsequently caught fire and was consumed. All three crew members escaped unharmed.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
According to the official investigation, the probable cause was an overshoot and subsequent gear collapse, resulting from the crew selecting the wrong runway in relation to the existing wind. The investigation also reported several contributing factors: misjudged distance and speed; airport conditions; a downwind leg; a runway end overrun; an intentional ground-water-loop swerve; overload failure; and the ice strip on the frozen lake cleared of snow.