SR22
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 85; Flight Crew Total 2500; Flight Crew Type 529
Situational Awareness; Other / Unknown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Excursion Runway
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airport; Human Factors
I am an aircraft salesperson and was demonstrating the airplane for a client; so I was flying from the right seat. I was shooting the ILS and at about 1;500 AGL; I began to pick up ground contact; and went back onto instruments. At the minimums callout; I picked up the Runway End Identifier Lights; and continued the approach. As I crossed the threshold; I saw that the runway was snow-covered by over 4 inches of snow and was unplowed; although 1 inch was reported by Approach as I was vectored onto the ILS. After crossing the threshold; I could see the runway lights; but they were not on as I expected they would be. I reduced the sink rate and started to flare; but because the light was so flat; I had a difficult time judging my distance over the runway. I considered a go around; but decided to do a soft-field landing in the snow. I brought the nose up to decrease my sink rate; and temporarily lost sight of the runway. I re-acquired the runway lights just as I contacted what I thought was the runway; and brought the stick full back to complete the soft-field landing. The airplane came to a very quick stop; and I knew something was wrong. I shut down the airplane and cancelled my IFR flight plan. When I exited the airplane; I realized I had landed north of the runway; between the runway and taxiway. While I crossed the threshold; apparently I had drifted to the left as I set up for the soft-field landing. As I was landing; I assumed the runway lights I was looking at out the right window were the runway lights on the right side of the runway; but they were actually the runway lights on the left side of the runway.  I had three passengers aboard. No injuries and the only damage to the airplane appear to be broken wheel pants. This incident was caused because of my complacency. I had been flying a lot of instrument approaches to snow-covered runways the last two months. When I acquired the HIRL; I expected to see the runway lights on and snow banks outlining the runway; but the runway lights were not on; and the runway was not outlined by snow banks; leaving only the runway light stanchions to identify the runway perimeter. Due to the falling snow and cloud cover; the light was also much flatter than I expected. I should have executed a missed approach as soon as I realized I was not seeing what I expected to see; but I wanted to please my clients. I thought a missed approach might scare the two non-pilots on board. I let up when I saw the HIRL's; assuming the landing was assured. Contributing factors were the unplowed runway and flat light. I should have maintained the same vigilance from the time I acquired the HIRL's that I had from the FAF to the MAP. And when I didn't see what I was expecting; I should have executed an immediate missed approach. When I was a Flight Instructor; I taught the time to go missed or execute a go-around was the instant you first thought about it. I should have followed my own advice.
SR22 pilot with passengers reports landing off the runway after an ILS low visibility approach in snow. After sighting the MALSR (Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System with Runway Alignment Indicator Lights) it is noted that the runway is not plowed and the runway lights are not activated but the approach is continued to a landing but not on the runway.