Narrative:

On nov/wed/02, I departed pafa in a PA32R-300 with 1 passenger, destination eagle, ak. WX conditions were nearly identical to those of the morning flight. I was able to maintain 5500 ft MSL until about 40 mi from eagle, where lowering clouds took me into the yukon river canyon, where I maintained an eastbound VFR altitude of 1500 ft MSL. Ceiling was still about 2500 ft, with 15-20 mi visibility, outside air temperature was steady at about -10 degrees C. Due to the lower cruise altitude and being in a canyon, my normal attempts to monitor the eagle ASOS inbound were unsuccessful. As I got to within 5 mi of eagle, the WX deteriorated with visibility dropping to 3-5 mi, but still an adequate ceiling, so I continued my approach. About 2 mi from the airport and with the field in sight, I began picking up the first indication of precipitation on my windscreen. Within less than 1 min, my windscreen went from clear to totally iced over from freezing rain. I was still able to maintain usual contact with the airport through my side windows and elected to land judging this to be the better option than attempting a retreat back down the canyon in deteriorating WX with an iced-over windscreen, and facing a 200 mi return to pafa in dwindling light. With constant attention to airspeed, altitude, and visual contact with the field, I made a close-in overhead approach to runway 24 and landed. Upon touching down, I briefly lost visual reference, and the aircraft veered off the left edge of the runway. The nose gear collapsed upon contacting the plowed snow berm at the runway edge, and we slid to a stop in about 150 ft. No injuries were incurred by either my passenger or myself. I believe the damage to the aircraft will be classed within the NTSB 'incident' category.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT, UPON LNDG AT EAGLE, AK (PAEG) LEFT THE RWY, ENCOUNTERED A SNOW BANK, WITH A RESULTING NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE.

Narrative: ON NOV/WED/02, I DEPARTED PAFA IN A PA32R-300 WITH 1 PAX, DEST EAGLE, AK. WX CONDITIONS WERE NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THOSE OF THE MORNING FLT. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN 5500 FT MSL UNTIL ABOUT 40 MI FROM EAGLE, WHERE LOWERING CLOUDS TOOK ME INTO THE YUKON RIVER CANYON, WHERE I MAINTAINED AN EBOUND VFR ALT OF 1500 FT MSL. CEILING WAS STILL ABOUT 2500 FT, WITH 15-20 MI VISIBILITY, OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS STEADY AT ABOUT -10 DEGS C. DUE TO THE LOWER CRUISE ALT AND BEING IN A CANYON, MY NORMAL ATTEMPTS TO MONITOR THE EAGLE ASOS INBOUND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AS I GOT TO WITHIN 5 MI OF EAGLE, THE WX DETERIORATED WITH VISIBILITY DROPPING TO 3-5 MI, BUT STILL AN ADEQUATE CEILING, SO I CONTINUED MY APCH. ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT AND WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT, I BEGAN PICKING UP THE FIRST INDICATION OF PRECIP ON MY WINDSCREEN. WITHIN LESS THAN 1 MIN, MY WINDSCREEN WENT FROM CLR TO TOTALLY ICED OVER FROM FREEZING RAIN. I WAS STILL ABLE TO MAINTAIN USUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT THROUGH MY SIDE WINDOWS AND ELECTED TO LAND JUDGING THIS TO BE THE BETTER OPTION THAN ATTEMPTING A RETREAT BACK DOWN THE CANYON IN DETERIORATING WX WITH AN ICED-OVER WINDSCREEN, AND FACING A 200 MI RETURN TO PAFA IN DWINDLING LIGHT. WITH CONSTANT ATTN TO AIRSPD, ALT, AND VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FIELD, I MADE A CLOSE-IN OVERHEAD APCH TO RWY 24 AND LANDED. UPON TOUCHING DOWN, I BRIEFLY LOST VISUAL REF, AND THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE L EDGE OF THE RWY. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED UPON CONTACTING THE PLOWED SNOW BERM AT THE RWY EDGE, AND WE SLID TO A STOP IN ABOUT 150 FT. NO INJURIES WERE INCURRED BY EITHER MY PAX OR MYSELF. I BELIEVE THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WILL BE CLASSED WITHIN THE NTSB 'INCIDENT' CATEGORY.

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.