Narrative:

Departed fmn on a family pleasure flight. Approximately 7 NM northeast of the airport, the door to our rented PA23-250 aztec (aircraft X) popped open creating extremely poor flight characteristics. Once my passenger was unable to secure the door, I turned and flew direct to the nearest airport (Q19) (class G airspace) so as to secure the door on the ground. I dialed up the CTAF and reported approximately 5 mi west, inbound for landing, any traffic in the area please advise. Bonanza (aircraft Y) replied back stating he was back-taxiing on runway 26. (Not intending to land at Q19, I was not prepared with knowing the airport runway numbers.) I did know that aircraft Y was back-taxiing on the east/west runway to the east. I reported aztec aircraft X will be landing the north/south runway from the south, entering left traffic (I took a guess and said), 'it looks like runway 3.' while looking for aircraft Y, I reported entering left downwind, base and then a 1/2 mi final. Once on final, I spotted aircraft Y who was just about 250 ft from the start of runway 4, still back-taxiing. Aircraft Y radioed that I was landing runway 26 with him still on it. I told him, 'no, you're on runway 4 with the runway number just in front of your nose' and at 500 ft AGL, reported that aircraft X is breaking off the approach and going around left traffic, and make sure to report clear of runway 4 after departure. While struggling to regain traffic pattern altitude, aircraft Y had completed his back-taxi and began his takeoff roll while acknowledging he was mistaken and was on runway 4. Once established on the downwind leg, I heard aircraft Y radio he as 'aborting takeoff.' at that time I told aircraft Y that he needed to clear the runway as fast as he can because aircraft X was experiencing problems and has an open door. When there was no response from aircraft Y, I looked over my shoulder to see him just rolling off the end of runway 4 about 150 ft into the dirt where he came to a complete stop. I asked if everyone was ok, and if he needed any assistance. Aircraft Y replied and said everyone was ok and he did not need any assistance as he was trying to turn the aircraft around. Since aircraft Y was stuck and the end of runway 4, I had no choice but to land runway 26, having to accept a 10 KT crosswind landing furthering the level of difficulty to control the twin aztec. Landing occurred without incident while airport officials attended to aircraft Y. No damage to the aztec and no distant visual damage to the bonanza. Aztec, NM, airport (Q19) manager witnessed bonanza aircraft Y attempting a takeoff with approximately a 10 KT tailwind resulting in overshooting the runway on the aborted takeoff. Actions to prevent a recurrence: PA23-250 aztec -- in the event of an open door or any unforeseen difficulty while aloft, I should have notified CTAF on the initial contact of the urgent situation and state that I needed priority and was unable to accept any delays for landing (or to declare an emergency). If at the time of initial contact the bonanza reported back-taxiing on the north/south runway, I would have set up to land on the east/west runway from the west (which would have made a straight-in approach for me) to ensure a no delay landing and to ask the bonanza to hold short immediately following his back-taxi until I have landed and cleared the runway. A36 bonanza -- correctly indicate which runway he was occupying, and make certain the takeoff was into the wind or to make certain enough runway was available to accommodate the tailwind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA23 PLT HAD THE ACFT ENTRANCE DOOR COME OPEN INFLT IN ZAB CLASS G AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DEPARTED FMN ON A FAMILY PLEASURE FLT. APPROX 7 NM NE OF THE ARPT, THE DOOR TO OUR RENTED PA23-250 AZTEC (ACFT X) POPPED OPEN CREATING EXTREMELY POOR FLT CHARACTERISTICS. ONCE MY PAX WAS UNABLE TO SECURE THE DOOR, I TURNED AND FLEW DIRECT TO THE NEAREST ARPT (Q19) (CLASS G AIRSPACE) SO AS TO SECURE THE DOOR ON THE GND. I DIALED UP THE CTAF AND RPTED APPROX 5 MI W, INBOUND FOR LNDG, ANY TFC IN THE AREA PLEASE ADVISE. BONANZA (ACFT Y) REPLIED BACK STATING HE WAS BACK-TAXIING ON RWY 26. (NOT INTENDING TO LAND AT Q19, I WAS NOT PREPARED WITH KNOWING THE ARPT RWY NUMBERS.) I DID KNOW THAT ACFT Y WAS BACK-TAXIING ON THE E/W RWY TO THE E. I RPTED AZTEC ACFT X WILL BE LNDG THE N/S RWY FROM THE S, ENTERING L TFC (I TOOK A GUESS AND SAID), 'IT LOOKS LIKE RWY 3.' WHILE LOOKING FOR ACFT Y, I RPTED ENTERING L DOWNWIND, BASE AND THEN A 1/2 MI FINAL. ONCE ON FINAL, I SPOTTED ACFT Y WHO WAS JUST ABOUT 250 FT FROM THE START OF RWY 4, STILL BACK-TAXIING. ACFT Y RADIOED THAT I WAS LNDG RWY 26 WITH HIM STILL ON IT. I TOLD HIM, 'NO, YOU'RE ON RWY 4 WITH THE RWY NUMBER JUST IN FRONT OF YOUR NOSE' AND AT 500 FT AGL, RPTED THAT ACFT X IS BREAKING OFF THE APCH AND GOING AROUND L TFC, AND MAKE SURE TO RPT CLR OF RWY 4 AFTER DEP. WHILE STRUGGLING TO REGAIN TFC PATTERN ALT, ACFT Y HAD COMPLETED HIS BACK-TAXI AND BEGAN HIS TKOF ROLL WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING HE WAS MISTAKEN AND WAS ON RWY 4. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, I HEARD ACFT Y RADIO HE AS 'ABORTING TKOF.' AT THAT TIME I TOLD ACFT Y THAT HE NEEDED TO CLR THE RWY AS FAST AS HE CAN BECAUSE ACFT X WAS EXPERIENCING PROBS AND HAS AN OPEN DOOR. WHEN THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM ACFT Y, I LOOKED OVER MY SHOULDER TO SEE HIM JUST ROLLING OFF THE END OF RWY 4 ABOUT 150 FT INTO THE DIRT WHERE HE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I ASKED IF EVERYONE WAS OK, AND IF HE NEEDED ANY ASSISTANCE. ACFT Y REPLIED AND SAID EVERYONE WAS OK AND HE DID NOT NEED ANY ASSISTANCE AS HE WAS TRYING TO TURN THE ACFT AROUND. SINCE ACFT Y WAS STUCK AND THE END OF RWY 4, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LAND RWY 26, HAVING TO ACCEPT A 10 KT XWIND LNDG FURTHERING THE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY TO CTL THE TWIN AZTEC. LNDG OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT WHILE ARPT OFFICIALS ATTENDED TO ACFT Y. NO DAMAGE TO THE AZTEC AND NO DISTANT VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE BONANZA. AZTEC, NM, ARPT (Q19) MGR WITNESSED BONANZA ACFT Y ATTEMPTING A TKOF WITH APPROX A 10 KT TAILWIND RESULTING IN OVERSHOOTING THE RWY ON THE ABORTED TKOF. ACTIONS TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: PA23-250 AZTEC -- IN THE EVENT OF AN OPEN DOOR OR ANY UNFORESEEN DIFFICULTY WHILE ALOFT, I SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED CTAF ON THE INITIAL CONTACT OF THE URGENT SIT AND STATE THAT I NEEDED PRIORITY AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCEPT ANY DELAYS FOR LNDG (OR TO DECLARE AN EMER). IF AT THE TIME OF INITIAL CONTACT THE BONANZA RPTED BACK-TAXIING ON THE N/S RWY, I WOULD HAVE SET UP TO LAND ON THE E/W RWY FROM THE W (WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH FOR ME) TO ENSURE A NO DELAY LNDG AND TO ASK THE BONANZA TO HOLD SHORT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIS BACK-TAXI UNTIL I HAVE LANDED AND CLRED THE RWY. A36 BONANZA -- CORRECTLY INDICATE WHICH RWY HE WAS OCCUPYING, AND MAKE CERTAIN THE TKOF WAS INTO THE WIND OR TO MAKE CERTAIN ENOUGH RWY WAS AVAILABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE TAILWIND.

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.