Narrative:

A large snowdrift that was unrpted, unforecast, and unlisted on runway 27 at the otsego county airport at gaylord, mi. This snowdrift on the runway extended from the left side of the runway to 2/3 of the way across the runway, approximately 1000 ft down the runway from the beginning point of the runway. The drift was approximately 100 ft in length and the depth was from 14 inches down to approximately 3 inches. The snowdrift was not easily visible because the entire runway had approximately 1 1/4 inches of snow on it and it was snowing lightly at the time. This condition resulted in an incident involving a twin engine small transport airplane attempting to depart on runway 27 getting the left landing gear wheel into this snowdrift and caused the airplane to pivot to the left causing a loss of control. The sideways stress caused the landing gear to collapse and the airplane to settle into the snow. This all happened at a very low speed, before rotation speed. No one was injured. The airplane only sustained moderate damage. I think this could possibly have been avoided if the person on duty at the airport and responsible, had inspected the runway on a more timely or frequent basis in changing WX conditions and reported the condition for inclusion in the pilot WX briefing and also if the person on duty had inspected the runway he perhaps could have had the snow plowed or plowed the drift as he had a snow plow on the airport pick up truck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX ON SMT COMPLAINS OF SNOWDRIFT ON RWY WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF ACFT CTL, EXCURSION INTO SNOWDRIFT.

Narrative: A LARGE SNOWDRIFT THAT WAS UNRPTED, UNFORECAST, AND UNLISTED ON RWY 27 AT THE OTSEGO COUNTY ARPT AT GAYLORD, MI. THIS SNOWDRIFT ON THE RWY EXTENDED FROM THE L SIDE OF THE RWY TO 2/3 OF THE WAY ACROSS THE RWY, APPROX 1000 FT DOWN THE RWY FROM THE BEGINNING POINT OF THE RWY. THE DRIFT WAS APPROX 100 FT IN LENGTH AND THE DEPTH WAS FROM 14 INCHES DOWN TO APPROX 3 INCHES. THE SNOWDRIFT WAS NOT EASILY VISIBLE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE RWY HAD APPROX 1 1/4 INCHES OF SNOW ON IT AND IT WAS SNOWING LIGHTLY AT THE TIME. THIS CONDITION RESULTED IN AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A TWIN ENG SMT AIRPLANE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART ON RWY 27 GETTING THE L LNDG GEAR WHEEL INTO THIS SNOWDRIFT AND CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO PIVOT TO THE L CAUSING A LOSS OF CTL. THE SIDEWAYS STRESS CAUSED THE LNDG GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND THE AIRPLANE TO SETTLE INTO THE SNOW. THIS ALL HAPPENED AT A VERY LOW SPD, BEFORE ROTATION SPD. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE AIRPLANE ONLY SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE. I THINK THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PERSON ON DUTY AT THE ARPT AND RESPONSIBLE, HAD INSPECTED THE RWY ON A MORE TIMELY OR FREQUENT BASIS IN CHANGING WX CONDITIONS AND RPTED THE CONDITION FOR INCLUSION IN THE PLT WX BRIEFING AND ALSO IF THE PERSON ON DUTY HAD INSPECTED THE RWY HE PERHAPS COULD HAVE HAD THE SNOW PLOWED OR PLOWED THE DRIFT AS HE HAD A SNOW PLOW ON THE ARPT PICK UP TRUCK.

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.