- Date
- January 15, 2014, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Coldwater, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N10MFCessna 340
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140115000239A
- Case key
- 88680
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Airport personnel did not remove the snow banks from the intersecting runway and/or close the intersection runway, which resulted in the airplane impacting the snow banks. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility inhibiting the pilot's ability to see the plowed snow hazard.
Findings · 6
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot departed on a short cross-country flight and arrived at his destination airport about 1100. The pilot stated that he overflew the airport and observed blowing snow on both runways. Because the wind was from 220 degrees, he elected to land on runway 22. During the roll-out, the airplane collided with plowed snow at the intersection of runway 07/25. The airplane's nose gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage. The pilot added that the snow banks should have been removed from the intersection and a NOTAM (notice to airmen) should have been published. A review of the Airport/Facilities Directory's (A/FD) note section for the airport had the notice: "Runway 07/25 plowed during winter months, contact the airport manager for conditions". At 1055, the automated weather reporting station at the airport reported the visibility at 3 miles in light snow, with the wind from 260 degrees at 11 knots. The weather station normally broadcasts the A/FD message about runway 07/25 being plowed during winter months; however, an electrical power interruption erased the message prior to the accident. With reduced visibility and blowing snow on the runways, it's likely that a pilot would not be able to see plowed snow banks at the intersection of runway 04/22 and 07/25.
Factual narrative
The pilot departed on a short cross-country flight and arrived at his destination airport about 1100. The pilot stated that he overflew the airport and observed blowing snow on both runways. Because the wind was from 220 degrees, he elected to land on runway 22. During the roll-out, the airplane collided with plowed snow at the intersection of runway 07/25. The airplane's nose gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage. The pilot added that the snow banks should have been removed from the intersection and a NOTAM (notice to airmen) should have been published. A review of the Airport/Facilities Directory's (A/FD) note section for the airport had the notice: "Runway 07/25 plowed during winter months, contact the airport manager for conditions". At 1055, the automated weather reporting station at the airport reported the visibility at 3 miles in light snow, with the wind from 260 degrees at 11 knots. The weather station normally broadcasts the A/FD message about runway 07/25 being plowed during winter months; however, an electrical power interruption erased the message prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10MF
- Reported as
- Cessna 340
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 340-0198
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 7,549.5
- Engines
- Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER, reciprocatingCont Motor TSIO-520 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Intertech Leasing Inc
- Registered owner
- Intertech Leasing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 11, 2012
- Departed
- KANQ · Angola, IN
- Destination
- KOEB · Coldwater, MI
- Airport
- KOEB · Branch County Memorial Airport, runway 22, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 75 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 23 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KOEB
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 27, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 469 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.