Originally on an IFR flight plan, the pilot canceled his IFR  clearance when he had the airport in sight. According to  the pilot, he was familiar with the airport, having landed  there repeatedly in the past. However, it had just snowed,  leaving a thin layer of snow and mixed ice on the runway.  The pilot in this case allowed his familiarity with the airport  coupled with his flight experience give him a false sense of  confidence. As a result, he failed to realistically assess the  potential snow and ice hazard on the runway—an assessment  overshadowed by his own self-assurance exacerbated by his  familiarity and experience.  What could this pilot have done to prevent this accident from  happening? In addition to maintaining currency in landing  on a snow-covered runway, he could have prevented this  accident by choosing an alternate airport that had a cleared  runway. He could have taken another pilot, junior or senior  to his overall experience who has landed in similar conditions  recently. Certainly he could have been better prepared. He  could have read about landing in these conditions and better  prepared himself for landing on snow and ice. He could  have planned. Before landing on snow-covered terrain, a  pilot needs to understand how to accomplish the landing  since the techniques are not the same as those for landing  on a clear, dry runway. In this example, the pilot applied the  same methods of ascertaining depth perception as normally  used if the terrain were not blanketed in snow.  In this case, the basic underlying problem was the pilot's  failure to prepare for the conditions. He knew the challenge  that faced him, and he had the assets to prepare himself  better, yet he did not. In reality, the hazard in this case is  not just the snow or the challenges it presented, but the pilot  himself in being overly confident and even complacent to his  responsibilities. Had this aircraft been carrying passengers  and had the accident occurred under slightly different  conditions, the end result could have been tragic.  On the day of the accident, the runway was covered with  one inch of snow and ice. Previously plowed snow lined  the runway. Although he had not landed on a snow-covered  runway in 10 years, the pilot felt his knowledge of the  runway environment and familiarity with the airfield would  compensate for this lack of currency in landing in these  types of conditions. During the final approach, the visual  cues normally available to a pilot were not present. That is,  the snow-covered terrain presented problems for the pilot  in ascertaining proper depth of field, recognized as a visual  illusion. When he landed, his normally available lateral visual  cues were obscured by the snow, causing him to come in at a  higher altitude than he normally would have. Disoriented by  the snow and lacking knowledge on how to adapt properly  to these conditions, he was unable to determine his position  relative to the runway centerline and landed left of the  intended point. By focusing his attention on the snow banks,  he drifted further toward the edge of the runway causing  one of the airplane’s main gears to miss the runway surface.  The first and key step in preparing for a new situation is to  recognize that one may not have the required skill set—the  step of recognzing personal limitations. The next step is  acquiring that skill set. A pilot who has never landed on  snow, or one whose skills have eroded from lack of recent  practice, can do the following to acquire or renew the skill  set necessary for a successful landing in snow conditions: The risk at hand could be addressed in the following manner.  Does landing on snow and ice require any special skills? Do  you have these skills? Are you current in using these skills?  If landing in ice and snow requires special airmanship skills  that transcend normal pilotage and you do not have that skill  or you are no longer experienced in this situation, then the  risk is increased and you need to recognize that just because  you are a pilot does not mean you are proficient at doing  all of the maneuvers you are legally qualified to perform.  Examine seaplane ratings, mountain training, and tail-wheel  proficiency. This proficiency starts to wane the moment a  pilot stops performing maneuvers requiring these skills.  Immediately after touching down, the wheel that was off the  edge of the runway hit a snow-covered mound of previously  plowed snow. The impact threw the airplane sideways and it  collided with more of the previously plowed snow. During  this sequence, all three landing gear struts collapsed and the  underside of the airplane sustained considerable structural  damage. 1.  Review reference materials to reinforce and increase  knowledge about visual illusions and their causes: •  Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) Chapter  8, Medical Facts for Pilots •  Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge,  Chapter 15, Navigation •  Advisory Circular (AC) 60-4, Spatial  Disorientation •  AC 90-48, Pilot’s Role in Collision Avoidance  2.  Fly with an instructor pilot or other PIC who has had  significant experience in landing on snow. 3.  Participate in a training designed specifically for  landing in unusual places and environments. Many  pilots attend classes on mountain flying in which they  learn techniques to use in the absence of standard  visual cues. 3-8