What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was diverting from kal to gal due to runway conditions, but got call from dot plow personnel at kal that they would have the runway clear in 10-15 minutes. While enroute to gal, plower called and said runway was ready. PIC decided to continued to land at kal. Upon landing, PIC impacted snow berm on l/h side of runway, corrected, then spun into snow berm on r/h side of runway. This appears to be due to the plower not plowing the entirety of the runway width and not making the PIC aware of this or the berms. Due to flat light, these are not possible to see in Alaska with white-on-white.
After this, the PIC dug the aircraft out, cleaned out the wells and snow that had impacted in these areas. They started the aircraft and taxied it to the ramp, except, they again taxied into a snow-berm, this time propellers passing through snow. According to the PIC, there was no associated RPM drop.
After getting to the ramp ,the PIC called operations. They relayed the situation, but did not go include details such as the prop/snow contact. They said they inspected the structure and planned to do a test-flight and would leave the gear down in case there was residual moisture that froze. The do agreed that seemed like a good plan.
The PIC flew the aircraft in the pattern, but the flaps were not working. The PIC said that they felt the flaps were not required, because they were not required for normal operations. The PIC flew the passengers back to gal, took on fuel, then back to fai.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS DIVERTING FROM KAL TO GAL DUE TO RUNWAY CONDITIONS, BUT GOT CALL FROM DOT PLOW PERSONNEL AT KAL THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE RUNWAY CLEAR IN 10-15 MINUTES. WHILE ENROUTE TO GAL, PLOWER CALLED AND SAID RUNWAY WAS READY. PIC DECIDED TO CONTINUED TO LAND AT KAL. UPON LANDING, PIC IMPACTED SNOW BERM ON L/H SIDE OF RUNWAY, CORRECTED, THEN SPUN INTO SNOW BERM ON R/H SIDE OF RUNWAY. THIS APPEARS TO BE DUE TO THE PLOWER NOT PLOWING THE ENTIRETY OF THE RUNWAY WIDTH AND NOT MAKING THE PIC AWARE OF THIS OR THE BERMS. DUE TO FLAT LIGHT, THESE ARE NOT POSSIBLE TO SEE IN ALASKA WITH WHITE-ON-WHITE.
AFTER THIS, THE PIC DUG THE AIRCRAFT OUT, CLEANED OUT THE WELLS AND SNOW THAT HAD IMPACTED IN THESE AREAS. THEY STARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND TAXIED IT TO THE RAMP, EXCEPT, THEY AGAIN TAXIED INTO A SNOW-BERM, THIS TIME PROPELLERS PASSING THROUGH SNOW. ACCORDING TO THE PIC, THERE WAS NO ASSOCIATED RPM DROP.
AFTER GETTING TO THE RAMP ,THE PIC CALLED OPERATIONS. THEY RELAYED THE SITUATION, BUT DID NOT GO INCLUDE DETAILS SUCH AS THE PROP/SNOW CONTACT. THEY SAID THEY INSPECTED THE STRUCTURE AND PLANNED TO DO A TEST-FLIGHT AND WOULD LEAVE THE GEAR DOWN IN CASE THERE WAS RESIDUAL MOISTURE THAT FROZE. THE DO AGREED THAT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD PLAN.
THE PIC FLEW THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN, BUT THE FLAPS WERE NOT WORKING. THE PIC SAID THAT THEY FELT THE FLAPS WERE NOT REQUIRED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT REQUIRED FOR NORMAL OPERATIONS. THE PIC FLEW THE PASSENGERS BACK TO GAL, TOOK ON FUEL, THEN BACK TO FAI.
Other reports on N4079H · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.