Narrative:

I had occasion to make an instrument landing approach to ama, tx. Upon becoming visual during the approach, the ground features were extremely difficult to distinguish because of the snow covered terrain (everything was white) and the restr visibility. I observed only 1 set of runway lights and determined the runway to be left of these lights and landed. The runway was not to the left of the single line of runway lights -- it was to the right of the lights, and my landing was made on the snow covered grass immediately to the left of the runway. The landing was uneventful with no damage to either the aircraft or the airport facilities. The approach lighting was not operational and plowed snow obscured the right set of landing lights. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter was flying a C421 and states that the tower offered assistance after he had landed and reported the situation, but could not have corrected him on the approach since they could not see him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C421 PLT EXPERIENCED WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS DURING LOW VISIBILITY, WHILE ON THE ILS RWY 4 APCH INTO AMA. THE APCH LIGHTS WERE OTS AND THE RPTR THOUGHT THAT HE WAS ALIGNED WITH THE RWY. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ROLLOUT BECAME ROUGH AND THE PLT REALIZED THAT HE HAD LANDED OFF THE RWY. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED, AND TOWED BACK TO THE RAMP.

Narrative: I HAD OCCASION TO MAKE AN INST LNDG APCH TO AMA, TX. UPON BECOMING VISUAL DURING THE APCH, THE GND FEATURES WERE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH BECAUSE OF THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN (EVERYTHING WAS WHITE) AND THE RESTR VISIBILITY. I OBSERVED ONLY 1 SET OF RWY LIGHTS AND DETERMINED THE RWY TO BE L OF THESE LIGHTS AND LANDED. THE RWY WAS NOT TO THE L OF THE SINGLE LINE OF RWY LIGHTS -- IT WAS TO THE R OF THE LIGHTS, AND MY LNDG WAS MADE ON THE SNOW COVERED GRASS IMMEDIATELY TO THE L OF THE RWY. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH NO DAMAGE TO EITHER THE ACFT OR THE ARPT FACILITIES. THE APCH LIGHTING WAS NOT OPERATIONAL AND PLOWED SNOW OBSCURED THE R SET OF LNDG LIGHTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS FLYING A C421 AND STATES THAT THE TWR OFFERED ASSISTANCE AFTER HE HAD LANDED AND RPTED THE SIT, BUT COULD NOT HAVE CORRECTED HIM ON THE APCH SINCE THEY COULD NOT SEE HIM.

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.