Narrative:

The following is a summary of events that occurred upon landing during a VFR cross country flight from bedford, ma, (bed) to west dover, vt, (ie, mount snow, 4v8). Prior to departure, a full WX briefing was acquired by the pilot. This briefing called for near perfect VFR conditions. There were no specific NOTAMS pertaining to the departure or destination airports. Using the 305 degree radial of the keene VOR, reaching mount snow was relatively simple. Also we were in contact with ZBW receiving radar service advisories. At 4500 ft MSL, over our destination airport (field elevation 1953 ft MSL), we began making contact on the CTAF with no response from the unicom or other aircraft in the area. We were trying to receive airport advisories. We did observe that the runway had patchy snow on its surface. The runway appeared plowed and there were other aircraft parked at the terminal building. The windsock had been observed as well, and it was determined that runway 1 was the favored runway. This runway, which is 2600 ft in length, has on its approach end, relatively low lying terrain. The departure end of this runway has mountainous terrain surrounding it. The departure end of runway 1 is also sloped downhill. A soft field landing procedure was to be used due to the runway condition. The soft field landing was done successfully and the brakes had to be very lightly applied in order to keep aircraft directional control using moderate braking. Due to the snow on the runway, our landing roll extended to the downslope section of the runway. The speed of the aircraft, at this time, was quite low and I felt confident that we were going to stop. However, gravity became my worst enemy, and our speed began to increase as we began to proceed down hill. At this time, it became urgent that either we try heavy braking or a go around. Considering the surrounding terrain, slow airspeed, and lack of usable runway, the safest choice, in my opinion, was to try and stop on the ground using the brakes. The braking action was quite poor. You might say it was nonexistent. It was realized that an impact into the plowed snowbanks at the end of the runway was unavoidable. An attempt to shut down the engine by use of the mixture control was made. Its outcome is uncertain. Fortunately, the speed of the aircraft had been slowed enough that the impact was light, not light enough to keep the aircraft undamaged. The propeller was bent on 1 end and the nose gear had been rendered unusable. The remainder of the aircraft was intact, and most importantly, the occupants, both of them walked away uninjured. It was later discovered that the snow on the runway was covering sheets of ice, and the asphalt that could be seen was 40% covered by thin layers of ice. This incident could have been avoided if: 1) I chose not to land at this airport considering the uncertain runway conditions. 2) considering the light wind conditions, an attempt to land in the opposite direction (runway 19) which would have been initially an uphill landing roll.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LNDG PA28-161 PVT PLT SLIDES OFF THE END OF SNOW ICE COVERED RWY 1 AT 4V8, MOUNT SNOW ARPT, VT.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF EVENTS THAT OCCURRED UPON LNDG DURING A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT FROM BEDFORD, MA, (BED) TO WEST DOVER, VT, (IE, MOUNT SNOW, 4V8). PRIOR TO DEP, A FULL WX BRIEFING WAS ACQUIRED BY THE PLT. THIS BRIEFING CALLED FOR NEAR PERFECT VFR CONDITIONS. THERE WERE NO SPECIFIC NOTAMS PERTAINING TO THE DEP OR DEST ARPTS. USING THE 305 DEG RADIAL OF THE KEENE VOR, REACHING MOUNT SNOW WAS RELATIVELY SIMPLE. ALSO WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH ZBW RECEIVING RADAR SVC ADVISORIES. AT 4500 FT MSL, OVER OUR DEST ARPT (FIELD ELEVATION 1953 FT MSL), WE BEGAN MAKING CONTACT ON THE CTAF WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE UNICOM OR OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. WE WERE TRYING TO RECEIVE ARPT ADVISORIES. WE DID OBSERVE THAT THE RWY HAD PATCHY SNOW ON ITS SURFACE. THE RWY APPEARED PLOWED AND THERE WERE OTHER ACFT PARKED AT THE TERMINAL BUILDING. THE WINDSOCK HAD BEEN OBSERVED AS WELL, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT RWY 1 WAS THE FAVORED RWY. THIS RWY, WHICH IS 2600 FT IN LENGTH, HAS ON ITS APCH END, RELATIVELY LOW LYING TERRAIN. THE DEP END OF THIS RWY HAS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN SURROUNDING IT. THE DEP END OF RWY 1 IS ALSO SLOPED DOWNHILL. A SOFT FIELD LNDG PROC WAS TO BE USED DUE TO THE RWY CONDITION. THE SOFT FIELD LNDG WAS DONE SUCCESSFULLY AND THE BRAKES HAD TO BE VERY LIGHTLY APPLIED IN ORDER TO KEEP ACFT DIRECTIONAL CTL USING MODERATE BRAKING. DUE TO THE SNOW ON THE RWY, OUR LNDG ROLL EXTENDED TO THE DOWNSLOPE SECTION OF THE RWY. THE SPD OF THE ACFT, AT THIS TIME, WAS QUITE LOW AND I FELT CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE GOING TO STOP. HOWEVER, GRAVITY BECAME MY WORST ENEMY, AND OUR SPD BEGAN TO INCREASE AS WE BEGAN TO PROCEED DOWN HILL. AT THIS TIME, IT BECAME URGENT THAT EITHER WE TRY HVY BRAKING OR A GAR. CONSIDERING THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN, SLOW AIRSPD, AND LACK OF USABLE RWY, THE SAFEST CHOICE, IN MY OPINION, WAS TO TRY AND STOP ON THE GND USING THE BRAKES. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS QUITE POOR. YOU MIGHT SAY IT WAS NONEXISTENT. IT WAS REALIZED THAT AN IMPACT INTO THE PLOWED SNOWBANKS AT THE END OF THE RWY WAS UNAVOIDABLE. AN ATTEMPT TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG BY USE OF THE MIXTURE CTL WAS MADE. ITS OUTCOME IS UNCERTAIN. FORTUNATELY, THE SPD OF THE ACFT HAD BEEN SLOWED ENOUGH THAT THE IMPACT WAS LIGHT, NOT LIGHT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ACFT UNDAMAGED. THE PROP WAS BENT ON 1 END AND THE NOSE GEAR HAD BEEN RENDERED UNUSABLE. THE REMAINDER OF THE ACFT WAS INTACT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE OCCUPANTS, BOTH OF THEM WALKED AWAY UNINJURED. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE SNOW ON THE RWY WAS COVERING SHEETS OF ICE, AND THE ASPHALT THAT COULD BE SEEN WAS 40% COVERED BY THIN LAYERS OF ICE. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: 1) I CHOSE NOT TO LAND AT THIS ARPT CONSIDERING THE UNCERTAIN RWY CONDITIONS. 2) CONSIDERING THE LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS, AN ATTEMPT TO LAND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (RWY 19) WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN INITIALLY AN UPHILL LNDG ROLL.

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.