Piper PA-31-350 N4112K accident near Buckland, Alaska

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to abort the landing while landing on a snow/ice-covered runway.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was on a cargo flight when he landed on the snow-covered runway and, upon touching down, he noticed the braking action was nil. He said that about 500 feet from the departure end of the runway he realized that stopping was going to be a problem, but he elected not to abort the landing. The airplane slid off the end of the runway and struck a snowbank, causing structural damage to the left wing. He said that he had not received any reports about braking action for the airport that day, but that he had landed there on the previous day and that the condition of the runway then was acceptable. According to the pilot, there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. After the accident he examined the runway surface and determined that it was light snow over ice. The Federal Aviation Administration Flight Information Supplement, Alaska, Buckland Airport, under airport remarks, says, in part: "Unattended. Runway condition not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to landing."

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC09LA025 for the full record.