Piper PA-24-260 N8916P accident near Cherokee, Iowa

Probable cause

The pilot misjudged his altitude while on short final approach.

NTSB analysis

The pilot flew an instrument approach to runway 36 and decided to circle to land on runway 18 as the winds slightly favored runway 18, and because runway 36 contained a slight downhill slope. While on final approach the pilot lowered full flaps and slowed the airplane to 80 miles per hour. The pilot intended to land as close to the end of the runway as possible because he was concerned about the lack of braking action on the snow- and ice-covered runway. The landing gear subsequently contacted a hard snowbank about 30 feet before the approach end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's firewall. The airplane then slid about 450 feet down the center of the runway prior to coming to rest. The pilot reported that it was difficult to judge the terrain as everything was snow covered and white. The pilot did not report having any problems with the operation of the airplane prior to the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10CA106 for the full record.