SMA CHARTER FLT ENCOUNTERS STRONG XWIND; EXCEEDING XWIND COMPONENT. SNOW; ICE ON RWY. LOSS OF ACFT CTL. SLIDES INTO SNOW BANK.

Narrative

LANDED ON SNOW PACKED RWY 34; 600 FT DOWN RWY NEAR CTRLINE. 90 DEG XWIND BLOWING FROM APPROX 070 DEGS; 25-35 IN GUST. RWY HAD THAWED AND REFROZE AT NIGHT; AND GOT GLAZED OVER WITH ICE. WINDS DRIFTED ACFT TO W SIDE OF RWY WHERE L GEAR STARTED DRAGGING IN DRIFTED SNOW. BRAKING WAS USELESS. JAZZED THROTTLE TO TRY TO GET ACFT ONTO CTRLINE OF RWY. DIDN'T WORK AND ACFT WENT COMPLETELY OFF RWY INTO DEEPER SNOW; STOPPING APPROX 800 FT DOWN AND OFF W SIDE OF RWY 34. NOSE WHEEL SNAPPED OFF AT SHEER BOLTS; DENTED LOWER COWLING; BENT 1 PROP BLADE. NO ONE HURT; LIGHT DAMAGE. ACFT WAS FERRIED OUT A FEW HRS LATER. CAUSE: ACFT XWIND COMPONENT WAS EXCEEDED IN THE GUSTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: WXVANING ON ICE AND UNPLOWED DRIFTED SNOW LINING W SIDE OF RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTION: ONLY HAD TIME TO CHOP THROTTLE AND RETRACT PART OF THE FLAPS (HAD FULL FLAPS). FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: NARROW STRIP; SHORT TIME TO REACT. IT WOULD HELP IF: RWY WERE PLOWED NOT ONLY AFTER A SNOW STORM; BUT WHEN THEY GET DRIFTED OVER ALSO. DEFINITELY SANDING WOULD HAVE BEEN A PLUS FACTOR. IF AGENTS FOR THE COMPANY WOULD GIVE THE RWY CONDITIONS SUCH AS ICED OVER; DRIFTED; ETC; IT WOULD HELP (THEY USUALLY JUST SAY SEE YOU AT THE ARPT; PERIOD). I THINK THIS WILL ONLY BE AN INCIDENT NOT AN ACCIDENT.