What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 22, 2021, pilot in command privacy data omitted, obtained a preflight weather briefing via foreflite prior to departure for a flight originating in bridgeport, CT (bdg) to st. mary?s, PA (oym) in a C421 (N84HA).
The weather at the destination airport was reported 1000 ft. overcast with a visibility of 1/2 mile. The winds were reported at 160 at 5 KTS. The visibility reported by AWOS was 1/2 mile for most of the morning.
The airman also said he reviewed the NOTAM?s and in the post-accident interview he was not aware that the runway lights were obscured with snow cover and not visible. The runway lights were covered in snow. A review of the NOTAM?s a day after the accident still shows no reference to runway lights being obscured with snow.
The airman said he was cleared for the RNAV (GPS) runway 28 approach at approximately 1110 EDT. The reported weather by AWOS was 600 broken, 1000 overcast and 1/2 mile visibility with the obstruction being snow. During the post-accident interview, the airman said he thought he had heard 1 and ½ miles visibility in snow prior to beginning the approach.
The airman stated that after he saw the approach light system he continued to what he believed was the runway. Because of the white out conditions and a snow covered runway, he mistakenly touched down to the left of the edge of the runway. The investigators were able to see where the left tire made an imprint on top of the snow and rolled directly over top of a buried runway light without damaging it. During the rollout, the aircraft started a turn back to the runway due to the right engine and right main gear burring themselves into the snowbank.
At that time when the aircraft started to lose lift, the right main landing gear sunk into the snow bank and the nose wheel landing gear assembly collapsed aft ward. The aircraft spun about 210 degrees to the right in the opposite direction and backwards several feet. The total distance where the aircraft touched down to when it finally stopped was approximately 250 ft. the aircraft came to rest with the left main gear on the runway and the right main gear off the runway facing east.
During this event the airman hit his head on the glare shield which resulted in lacerations above his left eye and on the bridge of his nose. The two passengers did not receive any injuries. The airman along with the two passengers went to the hospital where they were examined and released.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 22, 2021, PILOT IN COMMAND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING VIA FOREFLITE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR A FLIGHT ORIGINATING IN BRIDGEPORT, CT (BDG) TO ST. MARY?S, PA (OYM) IN A C421 (N84HA).
THE WEATHER AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS REPORTED 1000 FT. OVERCAST WITH A VISIBILITY OF 1/2 MILE. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AT 160 AT 5 KTS. THE VISIBILITY REPORTED BY AWOS WAS 1/2 MILE FOR MOST OF THE MORNING.
THE AIRMAN ALSO SAID HE REVIEWED THE NOTAM?S AND IN THE POST-ACCIDENT INTERVIEW HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE OBSCURED WITH SNOW COVER AND NOT VISIBLE. THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE COVERED IN SNOW. A REVIEW OF THE NOTAM?S A DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT STILL SHOWS NO REFERENCE TO RUNWAY LIGHTS BEING OBSCURED WITH SNOW.
THE AIRMAN SAID HE WAS CLEARED FOR THE RNAV (GPS) RUNWAY 28 APPROACH AT APPROXIMATELY 1110 EDT. THE REPORTED WEATHER BY AWOS WAS 600 BROKEN, 1000 OVERCAST AND 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY WITH THE OBSTRUCTION BEING SNOW. DURING THE POST-ACCIDENT INTERVIEW, THE AIRMAN SAID HE THOUGHT HE HAD HEARD 1 AND ½ MILES VISIBILITY IN SNOW PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE APPROACH.
THE AIRMAN STATED THAT AFTER HE SAW THE APPROACH LIGHT SYSTEM HE CONTINUED TO WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS THE RUNWAY. BECAUSE OF THE WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AND A SNOW COVERED RUNWAY, HE MISTAKENLY TOUCHED DOWN TO THE LEFT OF THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE INVESTIGATORS WERE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE LEFT TIRE MADE AN IMPRINT ON TOP OF THE SNOW AND ROLLED DIRECTLY OVER TOP OF A BURIED RUNWAY LIGHT WITHOUT DAMAGING IT. DURING THE ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY DUE TO THE RIGHT ENGINE AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR BURRING THEMSELVES INTO THE SNOWBANK.
AT THAT TIME WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO LOSE LIFT, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SUNK INTO THE SNOW BANK AND THE NOSE WHEEL LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY COLLAPSED AFT WARD. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN ABOUT 210 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND BACKWARDS SEVERAL FEET. THE TOTAL DISTANCE WHERE THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN TO WHEN IT FINALLY STOPPED WAS APPROXIMATELY 250 FT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR ON THE RUNWAY AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR OFF THE RUNWAY FACING EAST.
DURING THIS EVENT THE AIRMAN HIT HIS HEAD ON THE GLARE SHIELD WHICH RESULTED IN LACERATIONS ABOVE HIS LEFT EYE AND ON THE BRIDGE OF HIS NOSE. THE TWO PASSENGERS DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES. THE AIRMAN ALONG WITH THE TWO PASSENGERS WENT TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY WERE EXAMINED AND RELEASED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.