20220226002919I

ON FEBRUARY 26, 2022 AT 10:42PM LOCAL TIME, AT GROTON AIRPORT (KGON) IN GROTON, CT, AIRCRAFT PA-28 N1072Q, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OF KGON, OPERATED BY CFI AND STUDENT PILOT, INTENTIONALLY EXITED THE RUNWAY SURFACE OF RW 23 INTO A SNOW COVERED MEDIAN JUST SOUTH OF TAXIWAY E AFTER LANDING TO AVOID AN INCOMING AIRCRAFT OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON RWY 5. THE WEATHER REPORTING IN THE AREA AT THE TIME WAS 10 MI VIS, CLR AND WINDS 260 DIRECTION AT 7 KNOTS. CFI AND STUDENT WENT ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FOR 0.5 HOURS INSTRUMENT PRACTICE TO PREPARE STUDENT FOR FAA PRIVATE PILOT CHECKRIDE. THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED SOME UNUSUAL ATTITUDE MANEUVERS NEAR KWST AIRPORT BEFORE RETURNING TO THE KGON VICINITY FOR TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDING WORK. THE FIRST LANDING INTO KGON WAS ENTERED THROUGH A LEFT BASE TURN FOR RUNWAY 23. THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED A SUCCESSFUL LANDING AND THEN TOOK OFF AGAIN FOR A FINAL LANDING ON RUNWAY 23. ALL RADIO CALLS WERE PERFORMED ON THE CTAF FREQUENCY 125.6. GROTON TOWER CLOSES AT 2200 LOCAL AND CTAF OPERATIONS ARE IN PLACE UNTIL 0700 LOCAL. UPON REACHING LEFT BASE, THE CFI AND STUDENT DISCUSSED A SHORT FIELD LANDING, AND WHAT POINT TO AIM FOR (THE NUMBERS VERSUS THE LIGHTS). AS THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RW 23, STUDENT REMAINED OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT AS THE CFI WAS FOCUSING ON THE AIRSPEED IN THE FLIGHT DECK. THE CREW THEN LOOKED UP AND SAW A LARGE BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT AND NOTED THAT IT WAS AN AIRCRAFT COMING AT THEM. THE PA28 HAD ON ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS AND THE LARGE INCOMING AIRCRAFT ON OPPOSING SIDE RW 5 WAS GETTING LARGER IN APPEARANCE AND THE POSITION LIGHTS CONFIRMED IT WAS INBOUND/HEAD ON. THE PA28 WAS ALREADY PASSING BY TAXIWAY E AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE PARKING BRAKE TO EXIT THE RUNWAY ON A TAXIWAY BUT THEY HAD TOO MUCH AIRSPEED. THE NEXT AVAILABLE TAXIWAY WAS D AND IT WAS TOO FAR DOWN. OUT OF SAFETY, THE PA28 CREW STATED THEY HAD NO OPTION BUT TO ATTEMPT TO TAXI OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO A MEDIAN TO ATTEMPT TO STEER CLEAR OF THE INCOMING AIRCRAFT. THE PA28 GOT STUCK ON THE SNOW PACKED GRASS AND THE CREW PULLED THE MIXTURE TO STOP THE PROPELLER AND IMMEDIATELY EGRESSED AND RAN OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT WAS STILL TOO CLOSE TO THE RUNWAY TO REMAIN INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY. THE LANDING AIRCRAFT WAS IDENTIFIED AS N717SM, A CE750 CITATION X, OPERATED PART 91 BY OPERATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE TWO PILOTS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT WERE IDENTIFIED. THE CE750 WAS INBOUND FROM A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT FROM KPVU, WITH 2 CREW AND 1 MAINTENANCE PERSON ON BOARD. THEY WERE TALKING WITH PVD APPROACH DURING TRANSITION TO THE KGON AIRPORT. THE CREW WAS VECTORED FOR THE ILS 5 APPROACH INTO KGON AND AT 5 MILE FINAL POINT, TRANSITIONED OVER TO THE CTAF FREQUENCY FOR A VISUAL LANDING, WITH RADAR SERVICES TERMINATED, NO TRAFFIC IN THE AREA. THE CREW THEN MADE A 5 MILE INBOUND RADIO CALL AND OBSERVED AN AIRCRAFT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH LIGHTS ON. AROUND THE 3 MILE FINAL, THEY NOTED THE AIRCRAFT TURNING RIGHT OFF OF THE OPPOSITE RUNWAY TO WHAT THEY PERCEIVED WAS A TAXIWAY, THEREFORE MAKING A CLEAR RUNWAY FOR LANDING. THEY STATED THEY HEARD NO RADIO CALLS AT ALL SINCE TURNING OVER TO CTAF. THEY LANDED AND USED FULL LENGTH RUNWAY TO STOP AND EXIT FROM RWY 5. THEY PASSED BY THE PA28 TWICE, ONCE ON ROLL OUT, AND ONCE ON THE RETURN TAXI TO THE FBO. ATC STATED THEY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE CE750 CREW SHORTLY AFTER TERMINATING SERVICES, SINCE THEY SUDDENLY GOT A RADAR TARGET THAT POPPED UP IN THE KGON VICINITY, BUT THE CE750 HAD ALREADY CHANGED FREQUENCIES AND NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTIFICATION. BOTH AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE AND NO BODILY INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE PA28 WAS TOWED BACK TO THE TIE DOWNS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE CE750 TAXIED UPON ITS OWN POWER TO THE FBO.