A PA32 PLT; UPON LNDG AT EAGLE; AK (PAEG) LEFT THE RWY; ENCOUNTERED A SNOW BANK; WITH A RESULTING NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE.
Synopsis
A PA32 PLT; UPON LNDG AT EAGLE; AK (PAEG) LEFT THE RWY; ENCOUNTERED A SNOW BANK; WITH A RESULTING NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE.
Narrative
ON NOV/WED/02; I DEPARTED PAFA IN A PA32R-300 WITH 1 PAX; DEST EAGLE; AK. WX CONDITIONS WERE NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THOSE OF THE MORNING FLT. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN 5500 FT MSL UNTIL ABOUT 40 MI FROM EAGLE; WHERE LOWERING CLOUDS TOOK ME INTO THE YUKON RIVER CANYON; WHERE I MAINTAINED AN EBOUND VFR ALT OF 1500 FT MSL. CEILING WAS STILL ABOUT 2500 FT; WITH 15-20 MI VISIBILITY; OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS STEADY AT ABOUT -10 DEGS C. DUE TO THE LOWER CRUISE ALT AND BEING IN A CANYON; MY NORMAL ATTEMPTS TO MONITOR THE EAGLE ASOS INBOUND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AS I GOT TO WITHIN 5 MI OF EAGLE; THE WX DETERIORATED WITH VISIBILITY DROPPING TO 3-5 MI; BUT STILL AN ADEQUATE CEILING; SO I CONTINUED MY APCH. ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT AND WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT; I BEGAN PICKING UP THE FIRST INDICATION OF PRECIP ON MY WINDSCREEN. WITHIN LESS THAN 1 MIN; MY WINDSCREEN WENT FROM CLR TO TOTALLY ICED OVER FROM FREEZING RAIN. I WAS STILL ABLE TO MAINTAIN USUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT THROUGH MY SIDE WINDOWS AND ELECTED TO LAND JUDGING THIS TO BE THE BETTER OPTION THAN ATTEMPTING A RETREAT BACK DOWN THE CANYON IN DETERIORATING WX WITH AN ICED-OVER WINDSCREEN; AND FACING A 200 MI RETURN TO PAFA IN DWINDLING LIGHT. WITH CONSTANT ATTN TO AIRSPD; ALT; AND VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FIELD; I MADE A CLOSE-IN OVERHEAD APCH TO RWY 24 AND LANDED. UPON TOUCHING DOWN; I BRIEFLY LOST VISUAL REF; AND THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE L EDGE OF THE RWY. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED UPON CONTACTING THE PLOWED SNOW BERM AT THE RWY EDGE; AND WE SLID TO A STOP IN ABOUT 150 FT. NO INJURIES WERE INCURRED BY EITHER MY PAX OR MYSELF. I BELIEVE THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WILL BE CLASSED WITHIN THE NTSB 'INCIDENT' CATEGORY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.