Narrative:

Was cleared for a visual approach to runway 16L at west 10, by dulles approach. The only WX available was from dulles ATIS which was 4400 scattered 8 mi visibility. The actual WX in the area was clear and 12 mi visibility. We had west 10 in sight 20 mi away we lined up on the ILS approximately 3.5 mi out and had the entire airport and runway in sight. I could see some thin fog along the west side of the airport but I could see through in and saw the hangar line and aircraft on the ramp. Our approach was normal. We crossed the fence at 100 KTS and touched down on the centerline. Knowing that there was snow on the ground and the runway might be slick in spots. I did not use brakes, only into beta at about 60+ KTS. We were suddenly engulfed in fog. At this point I lost all visual reference as the runway lights were hidden by the snow banks and my landing lights were reflecting back in the fog. I felt the airplane drift to the right. I applied left rudder and started into left reverse. At that same moment the copilot called out that we were near the runway edge. The airplane did not respond to my rudder input and at that moment the right main wheels caught the edge of the snow and ice and I felt the airplane being pulled to the right. As the right main wheel went deeper into the snow bank and off the edge of the runway the airplane pivoted to the right and slid sideways onto the snow bank. As the airplane stopped the nose wheel strut broke sideways and the propellers dug into the snow bank. We shut off the engines and cut off the master and gen switches. There were no injuries. There was no structural damage to the airplane, just a broken nose strut, two propellers and a few gear doors. We have since found out that this airport has a history of similar incidents due to rapidly forming fog. There is a 9' departure ditch that flows between the runways, several creeks nearby and the airport is 100-200' below the surrounding countryside. This causes fog to form low to the ground and roll across the runways. During the evening as we were removing the airplane fog continued to form and then dissipate only to form again. A contributing factor was the runway lights being blocked from view by the plowed snow. They were in sight up until we touched down, then the angle was shallower and we could not see them. If the runway had had centerline lights this incident would not have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LNDG AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT ENCOUNTERS GND FOG UPON LNDG, EXPERIENCES RWY EXCURSION INTO SNOW BANK.

Narrative: WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16L AT W 10, BY DULLES APCH. THE ONLY WX AVAILABLE WAS FROM DULLES ATIS WHICH WAS 4400 SCATTERED 8 MI VISIBILITY. THE ACTUAL WX IN THE AREA WAS CLEAR AND 12 MI VISIBILITY. WE HAD W 10 IN SIGHT 20 MI AWAY WE LINED UP ON THE ILS APPROX 3.5 MI OUT AND HAD THE ENTIRE ARPT AND RWY IN SIGHT. I COULD SEE SOME THIN FOG ALONG THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT BUT I COULD SEE THROUGH IN AND SAW THE HANGAR LINE AND ACFT ON THE RAMP. OUR APCH WAS NORMAL. WE CROSSED THE FENCE AT 100 KTS AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE CENTERLINE. KNOWING THAT THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GND AND THE RWY MIGHT BE SLICK IN SPOTS. I DID NOT USE BRAKES, ONLY INTO BETA AT ABOUT 60+ KTS. WE WERE SUDDENLY ENGULFED IN FOG. AT THIS POINT I LOST ALL VISUAL REFERENCE AS THE RWY LIGHTS WERE HIDDEN BY THE SNOW BANKS AND MY LNDG LIGHTS WERE REFLECTING BACK IN THE FOG. I FELT THE AIRPLANE DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. I APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND STARTED INTO LEFT REVERSE. AT THAT SAME MOMENT THE COPLT CALLED OUT THAT WE WERE NEAR THE RWY EDGE. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT RESPOND TO MY RUDDER INPUT AND AT THAT MOMENT THE RIGHT MAIN WHEELS CAUGHT THE EDGE OF THE SNOW AND ICE AND I FELT THE AIRPLANE BEING PULLED TO THE RIGHT. AS THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL WENT DEEPER INTO THE SNOW BANK AND OFF THE EDGE OF THE RWY THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED TO THE RIGHT AND SLID SIDEWAYS ONTO THE SNOW BANK. AS THE AIRPLANE STOPPED THE NOSE WHEEL STRUT BROKE SIDEWAYS AND THE PROPELLERS DUG INTO THE SNOW BANK. WE SHUT OFF THE ENGINES AND CUT OFF THE MASTER AND GEN SWITCHES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE, JUST A BROKEN NOSE STRUT, TWO PROPELLERS AND A FEW GEAR DOORS. WE HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THIS ARPT HAS A HISTORY OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS DUE TO RAPIDLY FORMING FOG. THERE IS A 9' DEP DITCH THAT FLOWS BETWEEN THE RWYS, SEVERAL CREEKS NEARBY AND THE ARPT IS 100-200' BELOW THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE. THIS CAUSES FOG TO FORM LOW TO THE GND AND ROLL ACROSS THE RWYS. DURING THE EVENING AS WE WERE REMOVING THE AIRPLANE FOG CONTINUED TO FORM AND THEN DISSIPATE ONLY TO FORM AGAIN. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE RWY LIGHTS BEING BLOCKED FROM VIEW BY THE PLOWED SNOW. THEY WERE IN SIGHT UP UNTIL WE TOUCHED DOWN, THEN THE ANGLE WAS SHALLOWER AND WE COULD NOT SEE THEM. IF THE RWY HAD HAD CENTERLINE LIGHTS THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.