NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DEN07CA057
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's improper in-flight planning and unsuitable area selected for landing. A contributing factor was the snow covered terrain and runway.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he had been informed by an individual located at the airport that the runway had been plowed. However, the runway had not been plowed, and there was approximately two inches of snow on the runway surface. Due to "bright whiteout conditions" surrounding the airport, the pilot reported that there was "no visible contrast to any roads or runways on the airport." During the approach, the pilot observed two ridges of snow approximately 50 feet apart, which he assumed to be the runway. Subsequently, the pilot landed the airplane in the snow adjacent to the runway. Upon touchdown, the nose and right main gear collapsed. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Examination of the airplane revealed the forward pressure bulkhead was damaged, and the right aileron was buckled. According to the pilot, he had been informed by an individual located at the airport that the runway had been plowed. However, the runway had not been plowed, and there was approximately two inches of snow on the runway surface. Due to "bright whiteout conditions" surrounding the airport, the pilot reported that there was "no visible contrast to any roads or runways on the airport." During the approach, the pilot observed two ridges of snow approximately 50 feet apart, which he assumed to be the runway. Subsequently, the pilot landed the airplane in the snow adjacent to the runway. Upon touchdown, the nose and right main gear collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed the forward pressure bulkhead was damaged, and the right aileron was buckled. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2007_DEN07CA057.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.