Piper PA34 has runway excursion at axn.

Attributes
ACN	458587
Time
Date	199912
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : axn.airport
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1770 flight time type : 415
ASRS Report	458587
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Environmental Factor Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After landing runway 31 axn, lack of orientation information contributed to my veering off the left side of the runway and striking the intersection marker for runway 4/22. That sign caused considerable damage to the plane's underside. Lack of orientation information: 1) the runway and airport had a beautiful even layer of snow -- a big white flat sheet. 2) my windshield had ice on it. The electric hotplate performed poorly. 3) the ILS system installed 3 yrs ago is not yet activated at that airport. A localizer would have helped me guide the plane once on the ground. Had the runway been plowed, I could have distinguished it from the rest of the field. After touching down, the visual cues used to land were not discernible and I was left searching a sheet of white for an idea as to where the runway might be. In retrospect, I had fuel enough to return to huron, sd. Guess I should have. I didn't have sufficient information regarding local conditions until I was to my destination. Then the updated forecast said that the conditions would be the same no matter where I went. The situation did not look untenable until I was on the ground rolling out after landing. Then I was committed to an insurmountable challenge. The damage to the airframe is the result of poor design of an object placed in close proximity of airplane operations. As an engineer, I know I could do much better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER PA34 HAS RWY EXCURSION AT AXN.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG RWY 31 AXN, LACK OF ORIENTATION INFO CONTRIBUTED TO MY VEERING OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND STRIKING THE INTXN MARKER FOR RWY 4/22. THAT SIGN CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE PLANE'S UNDERSIDE. LACK OF ORIENTATION INFO: 1) THE RWY AND ARPT HAD A BEAUTIFUL EVEN LAYER OF SNOW -- A BIG WHITE FLAT SHEET. 2) MY WINDSHIELD HAD ICE ON IT. THE ELECTRIC HOTPLATE PERFORMED POORLY. 3) THE ILS SYS INSTALLED 3 YRS AGO IS NOT YET ACTIVATED AT THAT ARPT. A LOC WOULD HAVE HELPED ME GUIDE THE PLANE ONCE ON THE GND. HAD THE RWY BEEN PLOWED, I COULD HAVE DISTINGUISHED IT FROM THE REST OF THE FIELD. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE VISUAL CUES USED TO LAND WERE NOT DISCERNIBLE AND I WAS LEFT SEARCHING A SHEET OF WHITE FOR AN IDEA AS TO WHERE THE RWY MIGHT BE. IN RETROSPECT, I HAD FUEL ENOUGH TO RETURN TO HURON, SD. GUESS I SHOULD HAVE. I DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT INFO REGARDING LCL CONDITIONS UNTIL I WAS TO MY DEST. THEN THE UPDATED FORECAST SAID THAT THE CONDITIONS WOULD BE THE SAME NO MATTER WHERE I WENT. THE SIT DID NOT LOOK UNTENABLE UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND ROLLING OUT AFTER LNDG. THEN I WAS COMMITTED TO AN INSURMOUNTABLE CHALLENGE. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME IS THE RESULT OF POOR DESIGN OF AN OBJECT PLACED IN CLOSE PROX OF AIRPLANE OPS. AS AN ENGINEER, I KNOW I COULD DO MUCH BETTER.

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.