What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 23, 2025, at 0355 utm, a Cessna 208 aircraft, privacy data omitted registered to a 14 CFR part 135 air operator and flown by an instrument rated commercial pilot received minor damage following a loss of directional control during a takeoff roll and subsequent runway excursion at the South Bend International Airport (ksbn), South Bend, Indiana. Instrument meteorological conditions with heavy snow prevailed at the time of the incident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 135 with a flight plan. The pilot received no injuries.
According to the pilot the aircraft had been deiced on the ramp, prior to departure due to snow and ice buildup on the wings and airframe. He also stated he completed a preflight walk around inspection, but did not clean the windshield of deice fluid. Following startup, clearance was given, the pilot taxied to runway 27L. During the taxi, forward visibility was diminished due to falling snow and deice fluid on the windshield, but the pilot could still see enough to keep the aircraft on the taxiway. Once takeoff was initiated, the pilot states additional deice fluid flowed from the cowl on to the windshield, further obstructing forward visibility. During the roll, the aircraft started to drift to the left of centerline with only the runway edge lights giving the pilot any spatial reference. The pilot states he corrected for the left drift then looked down to check his airspeed and when he looked back up all he could see were red and white lights passing by the aircraft then he heard the landing gear hit something. Knowing he had left the runway surface, the pilot pulled power, and the aircraft came to a stop. The pilot then shut the aircraft down and notified airport authorities of the incident. Weather at the time of the incident: 0354Z 20009KT 2.5SM-SN bkn 038 ovc 075 M07/M10 A3009.
Photographs show the aircraft departed the left side of the runway surface striking a runway edge light and traveling between the VASI light posts prior to coming to rest. The only damage to the aircraft was minor crush damage to the left landing gear leg trim. No propeller strike was noted. The aircraft was removed and towed back to the ramp for inspection and repairs.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 23, 2025, AT 0355 UTM, A CESSNA 208 AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REGISTERED TO A 14 CFR PART 135 AIR OPERATOR AND FLOWN BY AN INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING A TAKEOFF ROLL AND SUBSEQUENT RUNWAY EXCURSION AT THE SOUTH BEND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KSBN), SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH HEAVY SNOW PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 135 WITH A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT RECEIVED NO INJURIES.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN DEICED ON THE RAMP, PRIOR TO DEPARTURE DUE TO SNOW AND ICE BUILDUP ON THE WINGS AND AIRFRAME. HE ALSO STATED HE COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT WALK AROUND INSPECTION, BUT DID NOT CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD OF DEICE FLUID. FOLLOWING STARTUP, CLEARANCE WAS GIVEN, THE PILOT TAXIED TO RUNWAY 27L. DURING THE TAXI, FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS DIMINISHED DUE TO FALLING SNOW AND DEICE FLUID ON THE WINDSHIELD, BUT THE PILOT COULD STILL SEE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON THE TAXIWAY. ONCE TAKEOFF WAS INITIATED, THE PILOT STATES ADDITIONAL DEICE FLUID FLOWED FROM THE COWL ON TO THE WINDSHIELD, FURTHER OBSTRUCTING FORWARD VISIBILITY. DURING THE ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE WITH ONLY THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS GIVING THE PILOT ANY SPATIAL REFERENCE. THE PILOT STATES HE CORRECTED FOR THE LEFT DRIFT THEN LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK HIS AIRSPEED AND WHEN HE LOOKED BACK UP ALL HE COULD SEE WERE RED AND WHITE LIGHTS PASSING BY THE AIRCRAFT THEN HE HEARD THE LANDING GEAR HIT SOMETHING. KNOWING HE HAD LEFT THE RUNWAY SURFACE, THE PILOT PULLED POWER, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT THEN SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND NOTIFIED AIRPORT AUTHORITIES OF THE INCIDENT. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT: 0354Z 20009KT 2.5SM-SN BKN 038 OVC 075 M07/M10 A3009.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE STRIKING A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT AND TRAVELING BETWEEN THE VASI LIGHT POSTS PRIOR TO COMING TO REST. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS MINOR CRUSH DAMAGE TO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR LEG TRIM. NO PROPELLER STRIKE WAS NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED AND TOWED BACK TO THE RAMP FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIRS.