What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot landed on runway 02 at Charlotte, MI (kfpk). When pilot exited the rwy at the taxiway connector, there was a 5 to 6 inch deep hard packed ridge of snow that had been left along the side of the runway by the city snow plow driver. The turn offs at both ends of the runway had been properly plowed but this one connector had a ridge of snow that had not been properly removed. Inspector elliott talked with airport manager privacy data omitted and he had talked with the city manager and was aware that the plow driver had not done a proper job of snow removal and he did state that in the future the snow plow drivers sent to the airpot would be trained to properly remove the snow from all surfaces and not leave a ridge of snow, as had been done on this occasion. A witness privacy data omitted witnessed the landing and he stated that Mr. Mead had exited the runway at a very slow speed and this was confirmed by an on scene investigation in which the aircraft only traveled approximately 12 inches into the hard packed snow before the hard packed snow caused sufficient stopping force to cause the aircraft to come to an abrupt stop, which resulted in the aircraft pitching downward and the prop contacting the ground, resulting in minor damage to the propeller and lower engine cowling. Investigation determined that pilot exercised reasonable care and was not at fault in this incident. No further action planned.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT LANDED ON RUNWAY 02 AT CHARLOTTE, MI (KFPK). WHEN PILOT EXITED THE RWY AT THE TAXIWAY CONNECTOR, THERE WAS A 5 TO 6 INCH DEEP HARD PACKED RIDGE OF SNOW THAT HAD BEEN LEFT ALONG THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY BY THE CITY SNOW PLOW DRIVER. THE TURN OFFS AT BOTH ENDS OF THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN PROPERLY PLOWED BUT THIS ONE CONNECTOR HAD A RIDGE OF SNOW THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY REMOVED. INSPECTOR ELLIOTT TALKED WITH AIRPORT MANAGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HE HAD TALKED WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND WAS AWARE THAT THE PLOW DRIVER HAD NOT DONE A PROPER JOB OF SNOW REMOVAL AND HE DID STATE THAT IN THE FUTURE THE SNOW PLOW DRIVERS SENT TO THE AIRPOT WOULD BE TRAINED TO PROPERLY REMOVE THE SNOW FROM ALL SURFACES AND NOT LEAVE A RIDGE OF SNOW, AS HAD BEEN DONE ON THIS OCCASION. A WITNESS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITNESSED THE LANDING AND HE STATED THAT MR. MEAD HAD EXITED THE RUNWAY AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY AN ON SCENE INVESTIGATION IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT ONLY TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES INTO THE HARD PACKED SNOW BEFORE THE HARD PACKED SNOW CAUSED SUFFICIENT STOPPING FORCE TO CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO COME TO AN ABRUPT STOP, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT PITCHING DOWNWARD AND THE PROP CONTACTING THE GROUND, RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND LOWER ENGINE COWLING. INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT PILOT EXERCISED REASONABLE CARE AND WAS NOT AT FAULT IN THIS INCIDENT. NO FURTHER ACTION PLANNED.
Other reports on N30348 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.