THE PILOT REPORTED WEATHER OF 1,200 FT OVERCAST AND 2 MILES EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT'S ARRIVAL AND AN ILS APPROACH WAS EXECUTED TO RUNWAY 21. THE PILOT SAID THAT ABOUT TWO INCHES OF SNOW COVERED THE RUNWAY AND THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN AT THE TIME. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE APPROACH THE PILOT SAID 'THE LANDING FLARE WAS PERFORMED HIGH WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. 'EXAMINATION OF THE COMPANY TRAINING PROGRAM REVEALED THAT NO SPECIFIC TRAINING IS PROVIDED IN THE RECOGNITION OF, OR OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH, WHITE OUT CONDITIONS POSED BY SNOW-COVERED RUNWAYS. THE COMPANY FLIGHT OPERATIONS MANUAL STATES THAT 'RUNWAYS COVERED WITH MORE THAN ONE-HALF INCH OF SLUSH, SNOW OR ICE ARE NOT SAFE FOR LANDINGS, ' WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE FAA POI FOR THE AIRLINE, CONSTITUTES A 'PROHIBITION AGAINST LANDING' ON RUNWAYS SO COVERED.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

TERRAIN CONDITION..SNOW COVERED

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..WHITEOUT

Contributing Factors

PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES..NOT FOLLOWED..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

IMPROPER TRAINING..COMPANY/OPERATOR MANAGEMENT

Contributing Factors

INSUFF STANDARDS/REQUIREMENTS,OPERATION/OPERATOR..COMPANY/OPERATOR MGMT

Index for Jan1988 | Index of months