Runway condition ice snow in a night operating crosswind landing results in propeller strike on runw...

Attributes
ACN	171613
Time
Date	199102
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jhw
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 3980
ASRS Report	171613
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Aircraft was being flown on a ferry flight to reposition the aircraft for the next day's flts. Only a crew of 2 were on board. The WX at jhw was reported as 600' overcast, 3/4 mi visibility in snow and blowing snow, wind 280/15 with gusts of 30 KTS. Runway was snow and ice covered. The aircraft was landed on the centerline of runway 25, aligned on runway heading. Moments after T/D a wind gust from the right blew the aircraft to the left side of the runway, striking 2 runway lights with the left propeller. The aircraft was steered back onto the runway and stopped. Due to the ice on the runway, the rapid deployment of right aileron could not stop the left-ward drift of the aircraft. There was insufficient time to use differential power/reverse to try to correct the drifting. (I truly believe that due to the momentum, it only would have caused the aircraft to leave the runway at a different angle.) the wind was blowing so hard that sand would probably not stay on the runway! A better system to report runway conditions and to allow the flight crew to better assess current conditions is needed. More importantly, ground crews need a method to assess conditions as well. Should the airport be closed?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY CONDITION ICE SNOW IN A NIGHT OPERATING CROSSWIND LNDG RESULTS IN PROPELLER STRIKE ON RWY LIGHTS AS LOSS OF ACFT CTL IS ENCOUNTERED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN ON A FERRY FLT TO REPOSITION THE ACFT FOR THE NEXT DAY'S FLTS. ONLY A CREW OF 2 WERE ON BOARD. THE WX AT JHW WAS RPTED AS 600' OVCST, 3/4 MI VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW, WIND 280/15 WITH GUSTS OF 30 KTS. RWY WAS SNOW AND ICE COVERED. THE ACFT WAS LANDED ON THE CENTERLINE OF RWY 25, ALIGNED ON RWY HDG. MOMENTS AFTER T/D A WIND GUST FROM THE RIGHT BLEW THE ACFT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY, STRIKING 2 RWY LIGHTS WITH THE LEFT PROP. THE ACFT WAS STEERED BACK ONTO THE RWY AND STOPPED. DUE TO THE ICE ON THE RWY, THE RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF RIGHT AILERON COULD NOT STOP THE LEFT-WARD DRIFT OF THE ACFT. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO USE DIFFERENTIAL PWR/REVERSE TO TRY TO CORRECT THE DRIFTING. (I TRULY BELIEVE THAT DUE TO THE MOMENTUM, IT ONLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACFT TO LEAVE THE RWY AT A DIFFERENT ANGLE.) THE WIND WAS BLOWING SO HARD THAT SAND WOULD PROBABLY NOT STAY ON THE RWY! A BETTER SYS TO RPT RWY CONDITIONS AND TO ALLOW THE FLT CREW TO BETTER ASSESS CURRENT CONDITIONS IS NEEDED. MORE IMPORTANTLY, GND CREWS NEED A METHOD TO ASSESS CONDITIONS AS WELL. SHOULD THE ARPT BE CLOSED?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Runway condition ice snow in a night operating crosswind landing results in propeller strike on runway lights as loss of aircraft control is encountered.