Beech E35 N3515B accident near Mount Morris, New York

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper decision to take off from unsuitable terrain with a quartering tailwind.

NTSB analysis

The pilot attempted a quartering tailwind takeoff from a 1,200-foot turf runway to troubleshoot why the entry door would pop open on takeoff. Although the airplane initially became airborne, it was either unable to maintain flight, or the pilot elected to land it in a hayfield beyond the end of the runway. After inspecting the airplane, the pilot taxied it to another spot on the rough-surfaced hayfield, and attempted another quartering tailwind takeoff. Again, after briefly becoming airborne, the airplane landed, but then went through a hedgerow and crossed a drainage ditch. Other than the entry door, the pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot did not have a logbook, and had not had a biennial flight review “in a few years,” but continued to fly on a regular basis. The pilot also did not hold a current medical certificate, and was taking prescribed medications on a daily basis that typically would not have been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10LA014 for the full record.