Narrative:

It was snowing in chicago on dec/sun/96. I checked the WX channel. I called FSS to obtain an IFR briefing. I filed an IFR flight plan from chicago aurora (arrival) to ann arbor, mi (arb). I called FSS again in the morning at about AA30. I have flown in and out of arb many times. I asked about local NOTAMS and runway conditions at arb. I was told that there was a local NOTAM at arrival for fair to poor braking, but that there were no NOTAMS for arb. I asked how much snow they had had. The briefer said that he had no reports. There was an airmet for moderate icing in clouds. My aircraft is certified for known ice. I filed an IFR flight plan for departure at AB00 on dec/mon/96. I departed arrival at about AB30. The flight to arb was routine. The approach into arb was vectors to the runway 24 VOR approach. In the descent my aircraft picked up considerable ice which I controled with boots, and heat. During the approach in inquired about the runway condition. I was told that a snowplow had entered the runway, but that it would move before I landed. The time was AE00 local. As I emerged from the clouds at the MDA, what I saw was solid snow and ice. The entire scene was a blanket of white, except for a long dark area between 2 rows of lights. I landed on this area. As the wheels touched down, I realized that I had landed on the grass between the taxiway and the runway. Because of the solid white of the runway and taxiway, I had mistaken the grass between the taxiway and the runway lights as the actual runway. I completed a normal rollout in the grass to a full stop. Because of taxiway lights at the first intersection which would have impacted the aircraft, I shut down the aircraft, exited with my passenger and called for a tow to pull the aircraft to the terminal. The runway was so slick that it was difficult to walk. A 4 wheel drive vehicle was called to tow the aircraft when the normal towing vehicle would only spin its wheels. I asked the tow operator to take the aircraft to the maintenance facility to check the condition of the aircraft, particularly the landing gear. The aircraft was jacked to cycle the gear and it was inspected thoroughly. There was zero damage to the aircraft. The landing gear operated normally. There was zero damage to the 2 passenger and to the pilot. It seemed to me that this airport was in no condition to accept airplanes at this time. No NOTAMS had been filed with FSS. But, I suspected that the runway might be snow and ice covered. When the tower told me that the snowplow had just begun its work, I should have diverted to detroit metropolitan airport.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA60 AERO STAR PVT PLT PERFORMS AN IAP VOR APCH TO RWY 24 AT ARB, MI. EXPERIENCES A 'WHITE OUT' REACHING MINIMUM APCH ALT AND LANDS BTWN THE TXWY AND RWY, THINKING THAT THIS DARKER AREA WAS THE RWY. UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative: IT WAS SNOWING IN CHICAGO ON DEC/SUN/96. I CHKED THE WX CHANNEL. I CALLED FSS TO OBTAIN AN IFR BRIEFING. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM CHICAGO AURORA (ARR) TO ANN ARBOR, MI (ARB). I CALLED FSS AGAIN IN THE MORNING AT ABOUT AA30. I HAVE FLOWN IN AND OUT OF ARB MANY TIMES. I ASKED ABOUT LCL NOTAMS AND RWY CONDITIONS AT ARB. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A LCL NOTAM AT ARR FOR FAIR TO POOR BRAKING, BUT THAT THERE WERE NO NOTAMS FOR ARB. I ASKED HOW MUCH SNOW THEY HAD HAD. THE BRIEFER SAID THAT HE HAD NO RPTS. THERE WAS AN AIRMET FOR MODERATE ICING IN CLOUDS. MY ACFT IS CERTIFIED FOR KNOWN ICE. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR DEP AT AB00 ON DEC/MON/96. I DEPARTED ARR AT ABOUT AB30. THE FLT TO ARB WAS ROUTINE. THE APCH INTO ARB WAS VECTORS TO THE RWY 24 VOR APCH. IN THE DSCNT MY ACFT PICKED UP CONSIDERABLE ICE WHICH I CTLED WITH BOOTS, AND HEAT. DURING THE APCH IN INQUIRED ABOUT THE RWY CONDITION. I WAS TOLD THAT A SNOWPLOW HAD ENTERED THE RWY, BUT THAT IT WOULD MOVE BEFORE I LANDED. THE TIME WAS AE00 LCL. AS I EMERGED FROM THE CLOUDS AT THE MDA, WHAT I SAW WAS SOLID SNOW AND ICE. THE ENTIRE SCENE WAS A BLANKET OF WHITE, EXCEPT FOR A LONG DARK AREA BTWN 2 ROWS OF LIGHTS. I LANDED ON THIS AREA. AS THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN, I REALIZED THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE GRASS BTWN THE TXWY AND THE RWY. BECAUSE OF THE SOLID WHITE OF THE RWY AND TXWY, I HAD MISTAKEN THE GRASS BTWN THE TXWY AND THE RWY LIGHTS AS THE ACTUAL RWY. I COMPLETED A NORMAL ROLLOUT IN THE GRASS TO A FULL STOP. BECAUSE OF TXWY LIGHTS AT THE FIRST INTXN WHICH WOULD HAVE IMPACTED THE ACFT, I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT, EXITED WITH MY PAX AND CALLED FOR A TOW TO PULL THE ACFT TO THE TERMINAL. THE RWY WAS SO SLICK THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO WALK. A 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE WAS CALLED TO TOW THE ACFT WHEN THE NORMAL TOWING VEHICLE WOULD ONLY SPIN ITS WHEELS. I ASKED THE TOW OPERATOR TO TAKE THE ACFT TO THE MAINT FACILITY TO CHK THE CONDITION OF THE ACFT, PARTICULARLY THE LNDG GEAR. THE ACFT WAS JACKED TO CYCLE THE GEAR AND IT WAS INSPECTED THOROUGHLY. THERE WAS ZERO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE LNDG GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY. THERE WAS ZERO DAMAGE TO THE 2 PAX AND TO THE PLT. IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THIS ARPT WAS IN NO CONDITION TO ACCEPT AIRPLANES AT THIS TIME. NO NOTAMS HAD BEEN FILED WITH FSS. BUT, I SUSPECTED THAT THE RWY MIGHT BE SNOW AND ICE COVERED. WHEN THE TWR TOLD ME THAT THE SNOWPLOW HAD JUST BEGUN ITS WORK, I SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED TO DETROIT METRO ARPT.

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.