What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative written statement by pilot flying.
"The flight was uneventful, with occasional light turbulence. Upon contacting merril tower, we were told to enter left downwind 16 and were given several wind checks. ATIS was reporting winds down the runway, something like 20G28KTS. We set up for a wide entry to shallow the turn from downwind to final, as paed airspace is within .6 miles of the end of rwy 16. Tower advised us of reported poor braking action 40 minutes before but said the runway had been sanded since. I briefed a 115KT approach speed (normally 105), to account for the likelihood of 10KTS of windshear. I called for 60% flaps turning base and was holding around 120KTS. Turning final the right seat pilot asked if I wanted full flaps, and I asked for full flaps. He mentioned our high airspeed, still nearly 120 knots, and the short, ice-covered runway (2600'). I reduced power slightly and raised the nose to bleed off some energy. As I maneuvered to align with the runway at about 100-150' AGL, we hit a significant downdraft or windshear. We both felt the sink, and I glanced at the airspeed and saw something in the low 90'S. I pulled back on the yoke and added power but felt no response in the aircraft. I didn't feel I could pitch up significantly for fear of stalling more, and by then we didn't have the altitude, energy, or time to arrest the descent, and the engines didn't have time to respond to the call for more power. We impacted wings more or less level, just north of runway 7, on the extended centerline but 150' short of the threshold for runway 16. The nose and left main landing gear collapsed, and both propellers struck the ground/snow berm adjacent to runway 7. After impact we continued trying to keep the sliding aircraft on the runway and were able to until we had slowed to less than 10 KTS. At that point the left wing contacted the snow berm on the east side of rwy 16 and gently spun the aircraft 150 degrees to the left, leaving us on the east edge of the runway, pointing nearly opposite of the direction of our approach. While sliding, the right seat pilot closed the condition levers, and immediately after we stopped, I closed the firewall shutoff and turned master off. We evacuated our 2 company passengers and exited ourselves."
PIC was unavailable for counseling or any follow up to statement due to having a medical issue unrelated to the accident, a few days after the accident and was hospitalized. Sic/pnf privacy data omitted provided all information to FAA and NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE WRITTEN STATEMENT BY PILOT FLYING.
"THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL, WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURBULENCE. UPON CONTACTING MERRIL TOWER, WE WERE TOLD TO ENTER LEFT DOWNWIND 16 AND WERE GIVEN SEVERAL WIND CHECKS. ATIS WAS REPORTING WINDS DOWN THE RUNWAY, SOMETHING LIKE 20G28KTS. WE SET UP FOR A WIDE ENTRY TO SHALLOW THE TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO FINAL, AS PAED AIRSPACE IS WITHIN .6 MILES OF THE END OF RWY 16. TOWER ADVISED US OF REPORTED POOR BRAKING ACTION 40 MINUTES BEFORE BUT SAID THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN SANDED SINCE. I BRIEFED A 115KT APPROACH SPEED (NORMALLY 105), TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LIKELIHOOD OF 10KTS OF WINDSHEAR. I CALLED FOR 60% FLAPS TURNING BASE AND WAS HOLDING AROUND 120KTS. TURNING FINAL THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT ASKED IF I WANTED FULL FLAPS, AND I ASKED FOR FULL FLAPS. HE MENTIONED OUR HIGH AIRSPEED, STILL NEARLY 120 KNOTS, AND THE SHORT, ICE-COVERED RUNWAY (2600'). I REDUCED POWER SLIGHTLY AND RAISED THE NOSE TO BLEED OFF SOME ENERGY. AS I MANEUVERED TO ALIGN WITH THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 100-150' AGL, WE HIT A SIGNIFICANT DOWNDRAFT OR WINDSHEAR. WE BOTH FELT THE SINK, AND I GLANCED AT THE AIRSPEED AND SAW SOMETHING IN THE LOW 90'S. I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND ADDED POWER BUT FELT NO RESPONSE IN THE AIRCRAFT. I DIDN'T FEEL I COULD PITCH UP SIGNIFICANTLY FOR FEAR OF STALLING MORE, AND BY THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ALTITUDE, ENERGY, OR TIME TO ARREST THE DESCENT, AND THE ENGINES DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO RESPOND TO THE CALL FOR MORE POWER. WE IMPACTED WINGS MORE OR LESS LEVEL, JUST NORTH OF RUNWAY 7, ON THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE BUT 150' SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD FOR RUNWAY 16. THE NOSE AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND BOTH PROPELLERS STRUCK THE GROUND/SNOW BERM ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 7. AFTER IMPACT WE CONTINUED TRYING TO KEEP THE SLIDING AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY AND WERE ABLE TO UNTIL WE HAD SLOWED TO LESS THAN 10 KTS. AT THAT POINT THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE SNOW BERM ON THE EAST SIDE OF RWY 16 AND GENTLY SPUN THE AIRCRAFT 150 DEGREES TO THE LEFT, LEAVING US ON THE EAST EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, POINTING NEARLY OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION OF OUR APPROACH. WHILE SLIDING, THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT CLOSED THE CONDITION LEVERS, AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE STOPPED, I CLOSED THE FIREWALL SHUTOFF AND TURNED MASTER OFF. WE EVACUATED OUR 2 COMPANY PASSENGERS AND EXITED OURSELVES."
PIC WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR COUNSELING OR ANY FOLLOW UP TO STATEMENT DUE TO HAVING A MEDICAL ISSUE UNRELATED TO THE ACCIDENT, A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND WAS HOSPITALIZED. SIC/PNF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROVIDED ALL INFORMATION TO FAA AND NTSB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.