PA60-600 aircraft landing on snow covered and icy runway with braking reported poor, aircraft veered...

Attributes
ACN	390127
Time
Date	199712
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cmx
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-34-220T Turbo Seneca III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 275 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 375
ASRS Report	390127
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Report from hancock prior to landing indicated braking poor. Report from air carrier X, just prior to my landing, they said 'not bad.' I obtained a visual approach clearance from ZMP after air carrier X landed and I had visual with the airport. I then entered the left traffic pattern for runway 31. I touched down at approximately 85 KTS, at the 500 ft marker, on center. I did have good visibility of my position on the runway since the lights were on full intensity. As soon as the aircraft touched down it felt as if I started to slow very quickly without my application of the brakes (as if I was going through snow drifts, but after my inspection of my tracks, I found just 2 inches of snow over patchy thin ice). Very quickly after touchdown, the aircraft started to turn left without my input to cause it to do so. I immediately added right brake and right nose steering with hydraulic nosewheel steering rocker switch. This stopped the continuing left turn yet it did not overpower it enough to reverse its trend to the left side of the runway. I varied the right brake a little to steer clear of all runway lights and signs. The aircraft came to rest approximately 30 ft off the runway pavement in snow approximately 12 inches deep. As a result of the aircraft leaving the runway there was no aircraft damage nor was there any runway or airport damage of any kind. After one of our company mechanics inspected the aircraft with me we found the nosewheel at its right limit and the brakes covered with snow and ice. The aircraft was inspected by the mechanic, pulled out, cleaned from snow and ice contamination and then flown back to grand rapids. The mechanic and I suspect a frozen left brake. This was probably due to taking off with a warm brake and the snow on the runway along with the moderate snow still falling. The snow was falling heavy that day, making it hard for the ground crews to keep the runway clean. The takeoff was accomplished in about 2-3 inches of snow on the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA60-600 ACFT LNDG ON SNOW COVERED AND ICY RWY WITH BRAKING RPTED POOR, ACFT VEERED OFF RWY TO THE L. RPTR PLT AND MECH INSPECTED ACFT LATER AND SUSPECT A LOCKED FROZEN L BRAKE.

Narrative: RPT FROM HANCOCK PRIOR TO LNDG INDICATED BRAKING POOR. RPT FROM ACR X, JUST PRIOR TO MY LNDG, THEY SAID 'NOT BAD.' I OBTAINED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC FROM ZMP AFTER ACR X LANDED AND I HAD VISUAL WITH THE ARPT. I THEN ENTERED THE L TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 31. I TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROX 85 KTS, AT THE 500 FT MARKER, ON CTR. I DID HAVE GOOD VISIBILITY OF MY POS ON THE RWY SINCE THE LIGHTS WERE ON FULL INTENSITY. AS SOON AS THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IT FELT AS IF I STARTED TO SLOW VERY QUICKLY WITHOUT MY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES (AS IF I WAS GOING THROUGH SNOW DRIFTS, BUT AFTER MY INSPECTION OF MY TRACKS, I FOUND JUST 2 INCHES OF SNOW OVER PATCHY THIN ICE). VERY QUICKLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT STARTED TO TURN L WITHOUT MY INPUT TO CAUSE IT TO DO SO. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED R BRAKE AND R NOSE STEERING WITH HYD NOSEWHEEL STEERING ROCKER SWITCH. THIS STOPPED THE CONTINUING L TURN YET IT DID NOT OVERPOWER IT ENOUGH TO REVERSE ITS TREND TO THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. I VARIED THE R BRAKE A LITTLE TO STEER CLR OF ALL RWY LIGHTS AND SIGNS. THE ACFT CAME TO REST APPROX 30 FT OFF THE RWY PAVEMENT IN SNOW APPROX 12 INCHES DEEP. AS A RESULT OF THE ACFT LEAVING THE RWY THERE WAS NO ACFT DAMAGE NOR WAS THERE ANY RWY OR ARPT DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. AFTER ONE OF OUR COMPANY MECHS INSPECTED THE ACFT WITH ME WE FOUND THE NOSEWHEEL AT ITS R LIMIT AND THE BRAKES COVERED WITH SNOW AND ICE. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY THE MECH, PULLED OUT, CLEANED FROM SNOW AND ICE CONTAMINATION AND THEN FLOWN BACK TO GRAND RAPIDS. THE MECH AND I SUSPECT A FROZEN L BRAKE. THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO TAKING OFF WITH A WARM BRAKE AND THE SNOW ON THE RWY ALONG WITH THE MODERATE SNOW STILL FALLING. THE SNOW WAS FALLING HVY THAT DAY, MAKING IT HARD FOR THE GND CREWS TO KEEP THE RWY CLEAN. THE TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN ABOUT 2-3 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE RWY.

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.

PA60-600 aircraft landing on snow covered and icy runway with braking reported poor, aircraft veered off runway to the left. Reporter pilot and mechanic inspected aircraft later and suspect a locked frozen left brake.