Small transport lands 35 ft to left of runway due to snow cover of area.

Attributes
ACN	261349
Time
Date	199401
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msv
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 478
ASRS Report	261349
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I took my family from hvn to msv. The WX was IFR at hvn and msv. Temperature minus 3 degree C. Light snow forecast. Icing in clouds. Msv was forecast to be 600 ft ceiling and 1 1/2 mi visibility light snow. From hvn to the approach 'easy flight.' the approach was also 'easy' (ILS) had airport and runway 15 in sight at about 3200 ft MSL. The wind was 290 at 7-14. Blowing snow. The complete airport area was white. The runway lights were very faint against the snow. I went visual at 1 mi from the runway. There was some light turbulence. I looked down to set the flaps and power. When I looked up I saw lights to my right and lines in the snow that appeared to be from other aircraft that had landed (side note -- unicom stated 1 inch of snow on runway). I landed 35 ft to the left of the runway in 2 ft of frozen snow. After landing: the runway lights were very dim. Also, the lines I saw in snow were from the snow blower used to clear runway. They were spaced about 8 ft apart and appeared to be wheel marks. On the ground it was very hard to differentiate the runway and snow banks. The runway lights were very hard to see. The airport should improve the lighting, brightness, and spacing. No one was injured. Damage to airplane. Lost both main gear and nose wheel. Extensive damage to nose area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT LANDS 35 FT TO L OF RWY DUE TO SNOW COVER OF AREA.

Narrative: I TOOK MY FAMILY FROM HVN TO MSV. THE WX WAS IFR AT HVN AND MSV. TEMP MINUS 3 DEG C. LIGHT SNOW FORECAST. ICING IN CLOUDS. MSV WAS FORECAST TO BE 600 FT CEILING AND 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY LIGHT SNOW. FROM HVN TO THE APCH 'EASY FLT.' THE APCH WAS ALSO 'EASY' (ILS) HAD ARPT AND RWY 15 IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 3200 FT MSL. THE WIND WAS 290 AT 7-14. BLOWING SNOW. THE COMPLETE ARPT AREA WAS WHITE. THE RWY LIGHTS WERE VERY FAINT AGAINST THE SNOW. I WENT VISUAL AT 1 MI FROM THE RWY. THERE WAS SOME LIGHT TURB. I LOOKED DOWN TO SET THE FLAPS AND PWR. WHEN I LOOKED UP I SAW LIGHTS TO MY R AND LINES IN THE SNOW THAT APPEARED TO BE FROM OTHER ACFT THAT HAD LANDED (SIDE NOTE -- UNICOM STATED 1 INCH OF SNOW ON RWY). I LANDED 35 FT TO THE L OF THE RWY IN 2 FT OF FROZEN SNOW. AFTER LNDG: THE RWY LIGHTS WERE VERY DIM. ALSO, THE LINES I SAW IN SNOW WERE FROM THE SNOW BLOWER USED TO CLR RWY. THEY WERE SPACED ABOUT 8 FT APART AND APPEARED TO BE WHEEL MARKS. ON THE GND IT WAS VERY HARD TO DIFFERENTIATE THE RWY AND SNOW BANKS. THE RWY LIGHTS WERE VERY HARD TO SEE. THE ARPT SHOULD IMPROVE THE LIGHTING, BRIGHTNESS, AND SPACING. NO ONE WAS INJURED. DAMAGE TO AIRPLANE. LOST BOTH MAIN GEAR AND NOSE WHEEL. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO NOSE AREA.

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.