Small aircraft charter flight encounters strong crosswind, exceeding crosswind component. Snow, ice ...

Attributes
ACN	233557
Time
Date	199302
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : z47
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 137 flight time total : 13442 flight time type : 4385
ASRS Report	233557
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landed on snow packed runway 34, 600 ft down runway near centerline. 90 degree crosswind blowing from approximately 070 degrees, 25-35 in gust. Runway had thawed and refroze at night, and got glazed over with ice. Winds drifted aircraft to west side of runway where left gear started dragging in drifted snow. Braking was useless. Jazzed throttle to try to get aircraft onto centerline of runway. Didn't work and aircraft went completely off runway into deeper snow, stopping approximately 800 ft down and off west side of runway 34. Nose wheel snapped off at sheer bolts, dented lower cowling, bent 1 propeller blade. No one hurt, light damage. Aircraft was ferried out a few hours later. Cause: aircraft crosswind component was exceeded in the gusts. Contributing factor: wxvaning on ice and unplowed drifted snow lining west side of runway. Corrective action: only had time to chop throttle and retract part of the flaps (had full flaps). Factors affecting human performance: narrow strip, short time to react. It would help if: runway were plowed not only after a snow storm, but when they get drifted over also. Definitely sanding would have been a plus factor. If agents for the company would give the runway conditions such as iced over, drifted, etc, it would help (they usually just say see you at the airport, period). I think this will only be an incident not an accident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CHARTER FLT ENCOUNTERS STRONG XWIND, EXCEEDING XWIND COMPONENT. SNOW, ICE ON RWY. LOSS OF ACFT CTL. SLIDES INTO SNOW BANK.

Narrative: LANDED ON SNOW PACKED RWY 34, 600 FT DOWN RWY NEAR CTRLINE. 90 DEG XWIND BLOWING FROM APPROX 070 DEGS, 25-35 IN GUST. RWY HAD THAWED AND REFROZE AT NIGHT, AND GOT GLAZED OVER WITH ICE. WINDS DRIFTED ACFT TO W SIDE OF RWY WHERE L GEAR STARTED DRAGGING IN DRIFTED SNOW. BRAKING WAS USELESS. JAZZED THROTTLE TO TRY TO GET ACFT ONTO CTRLINE OF RWY. DIDN'T WORK AND ACFT WENT COMPLETELY OFF RWY INTO DEEPER SNOW, STOPPING APPROX 800 FT DOWN AND OFF W SIDE OF RWY 34. NOSE WHEEL SNAPPED OFF AT SHEER BOLTS, DENTED LOWER COWLING, BENT 1 PROP BLADE. NO ONE HURT, LIGHT DAMAGE. ACFT WAS FERRIED OUT A FEW HRS LATER. CAUSE: ACFT XWIND COMPONENT WAS EXCEEDED IN THE GUSTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: WXVANING ON ICE AND UNPLOWED DRIFTED SNOW LINING W SIDE OF RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTION: ONLY HAD TIME TO CHOP THROTTLE AND RETRACT PART OF THE FLAPS (HAD FULL FLAPS). FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: NARROW STRIP, SHORT TIME TO REACT. IT WOULD HELP IF: RWY WERE PLOWED NOT ONLY AFTER A SNOW STORM, BUT WHEN THEY GET DRIFTED OVER ALSO. DEFINITELY SANDING WOULD HAVE BEEN A PLUS FACTOR. IF AGENTS FOR THE COMPANY WOULD GIVE THE RWY CONDITIONS SUCH AS ICED OVER, DRIFTED, ETC, IT WOULD HELP (THEY USUALLY JUST SAY SEE YOU AT THE ARPT, PERIOD). I THINK THIS WILL ONLY BE AN INCIDENT NOT AN ACCIDENT.

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.

Small aircraft charter flight encounters strong crosswind, exceeding crosswind component. Snow, ice on runway. Loss of aircraft control. Slides into snow bank.