PAX ON SMT COMPLAINS OF SNOWDRIFT ON RWY WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF ACFT CTL; EXCURSION INTO SNOWDRIFT.

Narrative

A LARGE SNOWDRIFT THAT WAS UNRPTED; UNFORECAST; AND UNLISTED ON RWY 27 AT THE OTSEGO COUNTY ARPT AT GAYLORD; MI. THIS SNOWDRIFT ON THE RWY EXTENDED FROM THE L SIDE OF THE RWY TO 2/3 OF THE WAY ACROSS THE RWY; APPROX 1000 FT DOWN THE RWY FROM THE BEGINNING POINT OF THE RWY. THE DRIFT WAS APPROX 100 FT IN LENGTH AND THE DEPTH WAS FROM 14 INCHES DOWN TO APPROX 3 INCHES. THE SNOWDRIFT WAS NOT EASILY VISIBLE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE RWY HAD APPROX 1 1/4 INCHES OF SNOW ON IT AND IT WAS SNOWING LIGHTLY AT THE TIME. THIS CONDITION RESULTED IN AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A TWIN ENG SMT AIRPLANE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART ON RWY 27 GETTING THE L LNDG GEAR WHEEL INTO THIS SNOWDRIFT AND CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO PIVOT TO THE L CAUSING A LOSS OF CTL. THE SIDEWAYS STRESS CAUSED THE LNDG GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND THE AIRPLANE TO SETTLE INTO THE SNOW. THIS ALL HAPPENED AT A VERY LOW SPD; BEFORE ROTATION SPD. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE AIRPLANE ONLY SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE. I THINK THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PERSON ON DUTY AT THE ARPT AND RESPONSIBLE; HAD INSPECTED THE RWY ON A MORE TIMELY OR FREQUENT BASIS IN CHANGING WX CONDITIONS AND RPTED THE CONDITION FOR INCLUSION IN THE PLT WX BRIEFING AND ALSO IF THE PERSON ON DUTY HAD INSPECTED THE RWY HE PERHAPS COULD HAVE HAD THE SNOW PLOWED OR PLOWED THE DRIFT AS HE HAD A SNOW PLOW ON THE ARPT PICK UP TRUCK.