Narrative:

The winter in fairbanks this yr has been a particularly snowy one. Total accumulation of snow is nearly 70 inches, however, the snow depth is approximately 30 inches due to compaction of the snow from its own weight. The area preceding runway 1R is not a taxi area and thus is not plowed. I was in a cessna 207 and as I began my flare to runway 1R, I felt, much to my surprise, the wheels lightly touch the snow preceding the runway. No corrective action was needed nor taken and the aircraft proceeded to a touchdown on the numbers of runway 1R, whereupon the right main tire went flat on rollout. Traffic behind me was forced to go around while I waited for assistance in getting the aircraft off the runway. Mechanics came, changed the tire and I was able to taxi clear of the runway. I don't believe that the tire went flat due to contacting the snow short of the runway but was rather an unfortunate coincidence that drew attention to my flight. The main reason this all happened was due to my failure to stay on the VASI. It is of the 'alignment of the elements' type VASI and was not readily visible in the low flat light conditions of the day. Also, I was in the habit of landing on the numbers in order to make the first taxiway. Sound familiar? Also, contributing to this incident was the flat light conditions under the overcast which considerably reduced my depth perception. At no time did I feel that I was too low. It felt like a normal approach to a runway I've landed at hundreds of times before. Complacency perhaps? A final contributing factor was the depth of the snow preceding the runway. It presented a surface some 2 ft higher than the surface of the plowed runway. Again, staying on the VASI would have prevented the whole incident, except for the flat tire.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN ATX SMA SINGLE ENG LAND LANDED SHORT OF RWY RESULTING IN HITTING SNOW BANK CAUSING A BLOWN MAIN GEAR TIRE.

Narrative: THE WINTER IN FAIRBANKS THIS YR HAS BEEN A PARTICULARLY SNOWY ONE. TOTAL ACCUMULATION OF SNOW IS NEARLY 70 INCHES, HOWEVER, THE SNOW DEPTH IS APPROX 30 INCHES DUE TO COMPACTION OF THE SNOW FROM ITS OWN WT. THE AREA PRECEDING RWY 1R IS NOT A TAXI AREA AND THUS IS NOT PLOWED. I WAS IN A CESSNA 207 AND AS I BEGAN MY FLARE TO RWY 1R, I FELT, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THE WHEELS LIGHTLY TOUCH THE SNOW PRECEDING THE RWY. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS NEEDED NOR TAKEN AND THE ACFT PROCEEDED TO A TOUCHDOWN ON THE NUMBERS OF RWY 1R, WHEREUPON THE R MAIN TIRE WENT FLAT ON ROLLOUT. TFC BEHIND ME WAS FORCED TO GAR WHILE I WAITED FOR ASSISTANCE IN GETTING THE ACFT OFF THE RWY. MECHS CAME, CHANGED THE TIRE AND I WAS ABLE TO TAXI CLR OF THE RWY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE TIRE WENT FLAT DUE TO CONTACTING THE SNOW SHORT OF THE RWY BUT WAS RATHER AN UNFORTUNATE COINCIDENCE THAT DREW ATTN TO MY FLT. THE MAIN REASON THIS ALL HAPPENED WAS DUE TO MY FAILURE TO STAY ON THE VASI. IT IS OF THE 'ALIGNMENT OF THE ELEMENTS' TYPE VASI AND WAS NOT READILY VISIBLE IN THE LOW FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS OF THE DAY. ALSO, I WAS IN THE HABIT OF LNDG ON THE NUMBERS IN ORDER TO MAKE THE FIRST TXWY. SOUND FAMILIAR? ALSO, CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS UNDER THE OVCST WHICH CONSIDERABLY REDUCED MY DEPTH PERCEPTION. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL THAT I WAS TOO LOW. IT FELT LIKE A NORMAL APCH TO A RWY I'VE LANDED AT HUNDREDS OF TIMES BEFORE. COMPLACENCY PERHAPS? A FINAL CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE DEPTH OF THE SNOW PRECEDING THE RWY. IT PRESENTED A SURFACE SOME 2 FT HIGHER THAN THE SURFACE OF THE PLOWED RWY. AGAIN, STAYING ON THE VASI WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE WHOLE INCIDENT, EXCEPT FOR THE FLAT TIRE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.