What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated he was flying back to his home airport from calhoun, Georgia. Before departure he looked at the weather using several online weather resources including garmin pilot, flyq, and wunderground, all were reporting his destination to be VFR. About 30 minutes from their destination it started snowing. He descended from 9,500 ft, where it was 24° to 4,000 ft, hoping to find warmer temperatures. He continued to descend but encountered a temperature inversion. He stated snow was building up on the wings and he decided to find the closest airport and land.
Because of the snow that had accumulated on the airplane he maintained a higher than normal airspeed during landing. He stated the airplane ballooned during touchdown and drifted off the side of the runway. The airplane impacted an equipment truck, spun around and impacted another.
Speci kapg 070203Z auto 16012G17KT 5SM R22/5000FT -ra BKN011 OVC032 04/02 A2991 rmk AO2 cig 011V032 bkn v sct SLP132
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED HE WAS FLYING BACK TO HIS HOME AIRPORT FROM CALHOUN, GEORGIA. BEFORE DEPARTURE HE LOOKED AT THE WEATHER USING SEVERAL ONLINE WEATHER RESOURCES INCLUDING GARMIN PILOT, FLYQ, AND WUNDERGROUND, ALL WERE REPORTING HIS DESTINATION TO BE VFR. ABOUT 30 MINUTES FROM THEIR DESTINATION IT STARTED SNOWING. HE DESCENDED FROM 9,500 FT, WHERE IT WAS 24° TO 4,000 FT, HOPING TO FIND WARMER TEMPERATURES. HE CONTINUED TO DESCEND BUT ENCOUNTERED A TEMPERATURE INVERSION. HE STATED SNOW WAS BUILDING UP ON THE WINGS AND HE DECIDED TO FIND THE CLOSEST AIRPORT AND LAND.
BECAUSE OF THE SNOW THAT HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE AIRPLANE HE MAINTAINED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL AIRSPEED DURING LANDING. HE STATED THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED DURING TOUCHDOWN AND DRIFTED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED AN EQUIPMENT TRUCK, SPUN AROUND AND IMPACTED ANOTHER.
SPECI KAPG 070203Z AUTO 16012G17KT 5SM R22/5000FT -RA BKN011 OVC032 04/02 A2991 RMK AO2 CIG 011V032 BKN V SCT SLP132
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.