Nose gear collapses when hitting snow on takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	297716
Time
Date	199501
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 091
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	297716
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff run, plane's left main gear contacted left snow 'berm' causing nose to swerve into deeper snow resulting in nose gear collapse. Plane was successfully flown from airstrip at noon and direct sunlight but at time of mishap there was a high overcast and no shadows to help distinguish between shallow and deeper snow.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR COLLAPSES WHEN HITTING SNOW ON TKOF.

Narrative: ON TKOF RUN, PLANE'S L MAIN GEAR CONTACTED L SNOW 'BERM' CAUSING NOSE TO SWERVE INTO DEEPER SNOW RESULTING IN NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE. PLANE WAS SUCCESSFULLY FLOWN FROM AIRSTRIP AT NOON AND DIRECT SUNLIGHT BUT AT TIME OF MISHAP THERE WAS A HIGH OVCST AND NO SHADOWS TO HELP DISTINGUISH BTWN SHALLOW AND DEEPER SNOW.

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.