ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 291637
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| Date: | Saturday 18 November 2006 |
| Time: | 10:30 LT |
| Type: |  Rutan VariEze |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N75EZ |
| MSN: | 2173 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Punta Gorda, Florida -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Punta Gorda-Charlotte County Airport, FL (PGD/KPGD) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated to the NTSB Investigator that he had problems locking the canopy. He would try closing the canopy several times before it would lock correctly. When he closed the canopy for the accident flight "it did not feel right" but elected to continue the flight. At about 500 feet above the ground, after takeoff, the canopy popped open. He stayed in the pattern and was on final approach while holding down the canopy. He released his hand from the control stick to throttle back, the airplane veered left. He could not regain control of the airplane and impacted the ground. The responding FAA inspector stated that during the post accident examination, the two front latches to secure the canopy down did not engage when the canopy was in the down and locked position. When lifted, the canopy to windshield miss alignment was about 3/4 of an inch into the wind stream.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight, which did not ensure the security of the canopy before flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB MIA07CA018
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Oct-2022 17:09 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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