What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Investigation: on March 12, 2022, at 09:38 EST (14:38Z), on an IFR approach at Frankfort, KY (kfft) a privacy data omitted crew was operating N320GV, EMB-505, when they were unable to control the airplane on rollout after landing when they encountered extensive patches of ice on the runway. This resulted in a low speed runway excursion. There is no evidence that the crew failed to comply with 14 CFR, company policies and procedures, or safe operating practices.
Root cause analysis (rca): weather was VFR following snow the previous evening. Pilot indicates he checked the weather the previous evening and on the morning of the flight. Approximately 10 miles from the airport the crew communicated intentions on CTAF. Aircraft was cleared for a visual approach to runway 25 and noticed that there was an aircraft departing. ATC advised that there was no observed traffic between N320GV and the airport. There was no indication from ATC or on the CTAF frequency that there were icy patches on the runway.
During approach crew noted that the wind was from 75 deg right crosswind at 14 knots gusting 26 knots. The runway looked clear with light snow on the grass on both sides of the runway. PIC flew the approach and landing and prepared for a slippery wet runway by carefully landing on the centerline at the proper touchdown point. Once the nose was lowered to the runway the crew realized that the ?wet? Runway surface was actually iced (?black ice?). As the PIC attempted to reduce speed by braking, (airplane is equipped with antiskid brakes but does not have thrust reversers), he realized midway down the runway that braking was ineffective and the aircraft began to slide.
At 3/4 down the runway, the PIC realized he couldn?t get the airplane stopped by the end due to nil braking and attempted to exit the runway to the left slowly on an available 90 deg taxiway. Unfortunately, he also experienced nil steering and the aircraft spun to the left although he applied right rudder. Aircraft continued to skid to the left at slow speed as they exited the runway to the left into the mud.
The loss of steering and braking control was due to an icy runway that exceeded the capabilities of the airplane?s steering and antiskid braking systems. Contributing to this cause was the strong gusty crosswind and that the crew was not informed that the runway surface was icy, not wet, as it appeared. There were no warnings including on CTAF, AWOS or NOTAM that runway, taxiways and FBO ramp were all iced. The airport manager was aware of these conditions, having observed an aircraft arriving to the FBO ramp and sliding sideways on the ramp. Additionally, the airplane that departed prior to N320GV?s arrival did not report the icy runway to ATC or on CTAF.
Corrective action: ch revised their planning procedures for all future flights to destinations that do not have active surface condition monitoring, I.e., uncontrolled airports. Crews are now required to verify runway conditions prior to departure to uncontrolled airports by confirming with airport fbos or airport manager the observed condition of the runway including possible contamination from snow, ice, standing water or any additional hazards. Method of determination of runway condition shall be relayed to the flight crew. Prior planning for the use of a suitable alternative will be briefed with crew and passengers. Crews will not ascertain the ability to land or take off in a phenom from an uncontrolled airport by observing other aircraft arriving or departing.
Recommendation: ch evaluated pic's knowledge and flight operations with a flight check conducted by a company check airman prior to return to flight duties. Operator has instituted corrective actions to its policies and procedures to reduce potential for future incidents. Ch's corrective actions fully address the identified causes and have reinforced safe operations. Recommend no further action.
As the FAA filed it
INVESTIGATION: ON MARCH 12, 2022, AT 09:38 EST (14:38Z), ON AN IFR APPROACH AT FRANKFORT, KY (KFFT) A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CREW WAS OPERATING N320GV, EMB-505, WHEN THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE ON ROLLOUT AFTER LANDING WHEN THEY ENCOUNTERED EXTENSIVE PATCHES OF ICE ON THE RUNWAY. THIS RESULTED IN A LOW SPEED RUNWAY EXCURSION. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CREW FAILED TO COMPLY WITH 14 CFR, COMPANY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, OR SAFE OPERATING PRACTICES.
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS (RCA): WEATHER WAS VFR FOLLOWING SNOW THE PREVIOUS EVENING. PILOT INDICATES HE CHECKED THE WEATHER THE PREVIOUS EVENING AND ON THE MORNING OF THE FLIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THE CREW COMMUNICATED INTENTIONS ON CTAF. AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 25 AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN AIRCRAFT DEPARTING. ATC ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO OBSERVED TRAFFIC BETWEEN N320GV AND THE AIRPORT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM ATC OR ON THE CTAF FREQUENCY THAT THERE WERE ICY PATCHES ON THE RUNWAY.
DURING APPROACH CREW NOTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 75 DEG RIGHT CROSSWIND AT 14 KNOTS GUSTING 26 KNOTS. THE RUNWAY LOOKED CLEAR WITH LIGHT SNOW ON THE GRASS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RUNWAY. PIC FLEW THE APPROACH AND LANDING AND PREPARED FOR A SLIPPERY WET RUNWAY BY CAREFULLY LANDING ON THE CENTERLINE AT THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. ONCE THE NOSE WAS LOWERED TO THE RUNWAY THE CREW REALIZED THAT THE ?WET? RUNWAY SURFACE WAS ACTUALLY ICED (?BLACK ICE?). AS THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE SPEED BY BRAKING, (AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH ANTISKID BRAKES BUT DOES NOT HAVE THRUST REVERSERS), HE REALIZED MIDWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY THAT BRAKING WAS INEFFECTIVE AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SLIDE.
AT 3/4 DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE PIC REALIZED HE COULDN?T GET THE AIRPLANE STOPPED BY THE END DUE TO NIL BRAKING AND ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT SLOWLY ON AN AVAILABLE 90 DEG TAXIWAY. UNFORTUNATELY, HE ALSO EXPERIENCED NIL STEERING AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN TO THE LEFT ALTHOUGH HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SKID TO THE LEFT AT SLOW SPEED AS THEY EXITED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT INTO THE MUD.
THE LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL WAS DUE TO AN ICY RUNWAY THAT EXCEEDED THE CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRPLANE?S STEERING AND ANTISKID BRAKING SYSTEMS. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS CAUSE WAS THE STRONG GUSTY CROSSWIND AND THAT THE CREW WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS ICY, NOT WET, AS IT APPEARED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS INCLUDING ON CTAF, AWOS OR NOTAM THAT RUNWAY, TAXIWAYS AND FBO RAMP WERE ALL ICED. THE AIRPORT MANAGER WAS AWARE OF THESE CONDITIONS, HAVING OBSERVED AN AIRCRAFT ARRIVING TO THE FBO RAMP AND SLIDING SIDEWAYS ON THE RAMP. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRPLANE THAT DEPARTED PRIOR TO N320GV?S ARRIVAL DID NOT REPORT THE ICY RUNWAY TO ATC OR ON CTAF.
CORRECTIVE ACTION: CH REVISED THEIR PLANNING PROCEDURES FOR ALL FUTURE FLIGHTS TO DESTINATIONS THAT DO NOT HAVE ACTIVE SURFACE CONDITION MONITORING, I.E., UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS. CREWS ARE NOW REQUIRED TO VERIFY RUNWAY CONDITIONS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE TO UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS BY CONFIRMING WITH AIRPORT FBOS OR AIRPORT MANAGER THE OBSERVED CONDITION OF THE RUNWAY INCLUDING POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION FROM SNOW, ICE, STANDING WATER OR ANY ADDITIONAL HAZARDS. METHOD OF DETERMINATION OF RUNWAY CONDITION SHALL BE RELAYED TO THE FLIGHT CREW. PRIOR PLANNING FOR THE USE OF A SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE WILL BE BRIEFED WITH CREW AND PASSENGERS. CREWS WILL NOT ASCERTAIN THE ABILITY TO LAND OR TAKE OFF IN A PHENOM FROM AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT BY OBSERVING OTHER AIRCRAFT ARRIVING OR DEPARTING.
RECOMMENDATION: CH EVALUATED PIC'S KNOWLEDGE AND FLIGHT OPERATIONS WITH A FLIGHT CHECK CONDUCTED BY A COMPANY CHECK AIRMAN PRIOR TO RETURN TO FLIGHT DUTIES. OPERATOR HAS INSTITUTED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO ITS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO REDUCE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE INCIDENTS. CH'S CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FULLY ADDRESS THE IDENTIFIED CAUSES AND HAVE REINFORCED SAFE OPERATIONS. RECOMMEND NO FURTHER ACTION.