A Piper PA-32R-301 was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Paul C. Miller Airport (8D4) in Sparta, Michigan. The pilot and passenger were not injured.
According to an FAA inspector, main landing gear tire tracks in the snow cover indicated that the airplane touched down about 18 feet short of the runway. It encountered a snowbank less than 3 feet in height adjacent to the runway threshold. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded down the runway before coming to rest about 1,000 feet from the approach threshold.
The pilot reported that he “misjudged the end of the runway” after executing a GPS approach and the airplane hit a snowbank at the end of the runway.
There were no malfunctions associated with the airplane before the accident.
He noted that maintaining the glideslope guidance provided by the precision approach path indicator might have prevented the accident.
Additionally, he told investigators that cancelling his instrument flight plan while still on the approach “proved distracting.”
He added that the airframe accumulated about 1/2 inch of ice during the descent and approach in instrument meteorological conditions, but that the airplane was “flying well.”
The pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing before the accident flight. He was advised of the airman’s meteorological information (AIRMET) advisories in effect for icing and instrument conditions. Multiple pilot reports (PIREPS) for in-flight airframe icing were received by air traffic control, along with one negative icing report. The airplane was not certificated for flight into icing conditions.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper glideslope during final approach, which resulted in contact with a snowbank at the approach end of the runway.
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This January 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
1. In Michigan, the first snowfall is usually before the ground freezes. You can’t drive the heavy snow plows on the turf edges without creating huge ruts in the safety area. The solution is to plow the snow to the pavement edge then blow it over the lights to the outlying areas. Small airports like Sparta don’t qualify for federal funding of snow blowers. If the snow piles aren’t removed soon, they will freeze in place.
2. A solution would be to pave the area beyond the runway end so the trucks could plow the snow off the runway, but FAA doesn’t fund that either. This would also help maintain the safety area due to jet blast & propwash at runway ends which make it difficult to maintain the safety area.
3. Runway markings on a non-precision instrument runway require an “aiming point” 1000 feet beyond the beginning of the runway. Pilot are supposed to land there. You’ll notice on precision instrument runway, the PAPIs, and glideslope antennas are in close proximity to the aiming point. FAA doesn’t recommend landing on “the numbers” like was taught in the old days because it isn’t safe. Aiming for the very end of the runway is a bad idea.
4. Airport had PAPIs. If this were a towered airport, 14 CFR 91.129 (e) 3. requires pilots to fly at or above the PAPI. If it’s good enough at a towered airport, why not do that at a non-towered airport?
IFR , night landing in icing conditions….what could go wrong ?
Then who leaves a frozen pile of snow at the approach end of the runway. ?
Why not push it to the side of the runway edge ?
What was missing from this report was whether or not the REIL was functional or covered over with snow. Those are at the threshold. Hopefully those are not LEDs, because they do not put out enough heat to melt the snow/Ice.
Also, “Condition of Light: Night” (NTSB report) — as in it was dark because of IMC, or it was just after sunset? (just before 5PM local). In either case the REIL should have been on.
And as you said JimH, who would dump snow at the end of the runway? This same thing could have happened had someone lost power on that approach, or had the icing gotten bad enough that at full power they couldn’t hold altitude. Isn’t this why we have runway safety areas?
I think these items are major contributing factors for this crash.
Not exactly the recommended method to remove from the wing 🙁
forgot “ice”