Beech V35B accident near Burns, Oregon, March 4, 2006
On March 4, 2006 at about 1:38 am local time, a Beech V35B, registered N3511V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burns, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain during the takeoff sequence. Factors include his inadequate removal of snow and ice from the wings prior to takeoff, his improper decision to retract the landing gear before it had been positively determined that the aircraft would not settle back onto the runway, and snowy conditions both prior to and during the takeoff sequence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2006 · about 1:38 am local time
- Place
- Burns, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3511V · registry record · serial D-10353
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot did not ensure that the snow that had accumulated on the aircraft both prior to and after he began the taxi sequence was fully removed from the aircraft's wings prior to takeoff. During the takeoff, the aircraft did not lift off as it normally does, and the takeoff roll ended up being longer than usual. Once the pilot got the aircraft in the air, it was not climbing at an acceptable rate, so the pilot retracted the landing gear because he thought that action would help the aircraft to climb. Soon after the landing gear was retracted, the aircraft settled back onto the runway, hit a runway light, and then slid off the departure end of the runway onto a snow and ice covered field. According to the pilot, the engine was producing full power and was running very smoothly.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,259 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBNO Burns OR
- Destination: KDLS The Dalles WA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.