PA60-600 ACFT LNDG ON SNOW COVERED AND ICY RWY WITH BRAKING RPTED POOR; ACFT VEERED OFF RWY TO THE L. RPTR PLT AND MECH INSPECTED ACFT LATER AND SUSPECT A LOCKED FROZEN L BRAKE.

Narrative

RPT FROM HANCOCK PRIOR TO LNDG INDICATED BRAKING POOR. RPT FROM ACR X; JUST PRIOR TO MY LNDG; THEY SAID 'NOT BAD.' I OBTAINED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC FROM ZMP AFTER ACR X LANDED AND I HAD VISUAL WITH THE ARPT. I THEN ENTERED THE L TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 31. I TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROX 85 KTS; AT THE 500 FT MARKER; ON CTR. I DID HAVE GOOD VISIBILITY OF MY POS ON THE RWY SINCE THE LIGHTS WERE ON FULL INTENSITY. AS SOON AS THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IT FELT AS IF I STARTED TO SLOW VERY QUICKLY WITHOUT MY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES (AS IF I WAS GOING THROUGH SNOW DRIFTS; BUT AFTER MY INSPECTION OF MY TRACKS; I FOUND JUST 2 INCHES OF SNOW OVER PATCHY THIN ICE). VERY QUICKLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN; THE ACFT STARTED TO TURN L WITHOUT MY INPUT TO CAUSE IT TO DO SO. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED R BRAKE AND R NOSE STEERING WITH HYD NOSEWHEEL STEERING ROCKER SWITCH. THIS STOPPED THE CONTINUING L TURN YET IT DID NOT OVERPOWER IT ENOUGH TO REVERSE ITS TREND TO THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. I VARIED THE R BRAKE A LITTLE TO STEER CLR OF ALL RWY LIGHTS AND SIGNS. THE ACFT CAME TO REST APPROX 30 FT OFF THE RWY PAVEMENT IN SNOW APPROX 12 INCHES DEEP. AS A RESULT OF THE ACFT LEAVING THE RWY THERE WAS NO ACFT DAMAGE NOR WAS THERE ANY RWY OR ARPT DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. AFTER ONE OF OUR COMPANY MECHS INSPECTED THE ACFT WITH ME WE FOUND THE NOSEWHEEL AT ITS R LIMIT AND THE BRAKES COVERED WITH SNOW AND ICE. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY THE MECH; PULLED OUT; CLEANED FROM SNOW AND ICE CONTAMINATION AND THEN FLOWN BACK TO GRAND RAPIDS. THE MECH AND I SUSPECT A FROZEN L BRAKE. THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO TAKING OFF WITH A WARM BRAKE AND THE SNOW ON THE RWY ALONG WITH THE MODERATE SNOW STILL FALLING. THE SNOW WAS FALLING HVY THAT DAY; MAKING IT HARD FOR THE GND CREWS TO KEEP THE RWY CLEAN. THE TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN ABOUT 2-3 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE RWY.