What happened
During the landing phase of flight, an aircraft encountered challenging environmental conditions consisting of a crosswind and a runway covered in ice and snow. As the aircraft touched down, the pilot was unable to maintain directional control, leading to a lateral slide. The pilot reported attempting to utilize propeller reverse thrust to assist with braking, but this maneuver resulted in the aircraft sliding toward the left side of the runway.
The uncontrolled movement caused the aircraft to collide with an adjacent snowbank. While the impact resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair, there were no injuries among the four occupants on board. All individuals successfully evacuated the aircraft following the collision.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to both environmental conditions and pilot actions. The primary factors included the presence of snow and ice on the runway surface, as well as a significant crosswind during the landing roll.
Key findings regarding the operation include:
- The selection of an inappropriate runway by the pilot in command.
- Improper airspeed management during the approach and landing.
- Failure to maintain directional control or correct a developing ground loop.
- Excessive loading on the landing gear during the encounter with the terrain.
- The impact with a snowbank as the terminal event in the sequence of events.