Aircraft landed on runway covered with 5 inches of snow and off the side of the runway.

Attributes
ACN	131810
Time
Date	198912
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : flc airport : flo
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
ASRS Report	131810
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Small transport X landed runway 27 at the florence regional airport. During landing roll the aircraft entered a left turn and exited the runway onto the snow covered grass. The pilot was unable to regain control of the aircraft and minor damage occurred. I was providing direct supervision to a developmental air traffic controller and witnessed the accident. Emergency vehicles were dispatched and no crew or passenger injuries were reported. The winds throughout the morning and early afternoon had been from the nnw at 10-20 KTS. This accident could have possibly been attributed to the pilot being unfamiliar with or unable to control his aircraft in gusty xwinds and to the florence regional airport manager for failing to provide a safe landing area by clearing runway 36 of snow and ice. The airport received 5' of snow on 12/xx/89. The airport manager removed the snow from runways 9 and 27 but not from runway 18 and 36. Runway 18/36 was not closed even though 5' of snow was on runway. Possibly notaming the runway closed would have given small transport X advanced warning to anticipate the crosswind conditions and divert to an airport with favorable wind conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LANDED ON RWY COVERED WITH 5 INCHES OF SNOW AND OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY.

Narrative: SMT X LANDED RWY 27 AT THE FLORENCE REGIONAL ARPT. DURING LNDG ROLL THE ACFT ENTERED A LEFT TURN AND EXITED THE RWY ONTO THE SNOW COVERED GRASS. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CTL OF THE ACFT AND MINOR DAMAGE OCCURRED. I WAS PROVIDING DIRECT SUPERVISION TO A DEVELOPMENTAL AIR TFC CTLR AND WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT. EMER VEHICLES WERE DISPATCHED AND NO CREW OR PAX INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE WINDS THROUGHOUT THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HAD BEEN FROM THE NNW AT 10-20 KTS. THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THE PLT BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH OR UNABLE TO CONTROL HIS ACFT IN GUSTY XWINDS AND TO THE FLORENCE REGIONAL ARPT MGR FOR FAILING TO PROVIDE A SAFE LNDG AREA BY CLEARING RWY 36 OF SNOW AND ICE. THE ARPT RECEIVED 5' OF SNOW ON 12/XX/89. THE ARPT MGR REMOVED THE SNOW FROM RWYS 9 AND 27 BUT NOT FROM RWY 18 AND 36. RWY 18/36 WAS NOT CLOSED EVEN THOUGH 5' OF SNOW WAS ON RWY. POSSIBLY NOTAMING THE RWY CLOSED WOULD HAVE GIVEN SMT X ADVANCED WARNING TO ANTICIPATE THE XWIND CONDITIONS AND DIVERT TO AN ARPT WITH FAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS.

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.