Incident Summary
A scheduled courier flight departing from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and destined for Goose Bay experienced a loss of directional control during landing. The aircraft touched down at 0456 Atlantic Standard Time on a snow-covered runway. During the landing roll, the aircraft began to veer to the right. The captain applied full-left rudder and reverse thrust on both engines in an attempt to regain control, but these actions were unsuccessful. The aircraft continued to track right of the centerline, departed the runway, and collided with a hard-packed snow bank.
Aircraft Damage and Occupant Status
The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact with the snow bank. The two crew members on board reported no injuries.
Findings
The official investigation identified a probable cause for the loss of control: negative castering of the nosewheel, likely caused by snow accumulating in front of the nosewheel assembly. Additionally, the investigation noted that the crew members were not aware of negative castering, and that the aircraft's flight manual and emergency checklists did not address this condition. The emergency response to the occurrence was delayed by four minutes due to a lack of communication from the aircraft to the tower.
Additional Context
The flight was a scheduled courier operation between the two Canadian locations. Runway conditions at the time included a snow-covered surface, which contributed to the nosewheel snow buildup. No other factors were reported in the official source.