ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 172610
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 30 December 2014 |
| Time: | 13:20 |
| Type: |  Zenith CH 650 Zodiac |
| Owner/operator: | Mds Flying Llc |
| Registration: | N419PE |
| MSN: | 65-10008 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2014 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 14 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming YIO-233-B2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | St Lucie County Int'l Airport (KFPR), Fort Pierce, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fort Pierce, FL (FPR) |
| Fort Pierce, FL (FPR) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the experimental amateur-built airplane, and before the engine run-up, he locked the canopy by pushing the two canopy latches forward against the latch bolts. The pilot also verified the locked position of the canopy again before departing for a local flight, during which he planned to perform several touch-and-go landings. He reported that there were no in-flight abnormalities, but on short final approach for landing, the canopy unexpectedly opened. The airplane pitched nose down, and the pilot attempted to correct the abrupt maneuver by applying engine power and pulling back on the control stick; however, the airplane continued to descend and impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the cockpit canopy’s locking system had been modified from the design provided by the airframe kit manufacturer. Functional testing revealed that the canopy latching mechanism was difficult to operate and to close fully and lacked a positive indication for determining if it was securely closed and locked. It is likely that, during the accident flight, while on final approach to land, the inadequate modification to the canopy latching mechanism allowed the canopy to open in flight, which rendered the airplane uncontrollable.
Probable Cause: The inadequate modification of the airplane’s canopy latching mechanism, which resulted in the inadvertent opening of the canopy while on final approach to land and a subsequent loss of pitch control.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Dec-2014 18:41 | Geno | Added |
| 16-Jan-2015 04:39 | Geno | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 22-Mar-2019 19:07 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation