ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 133502
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: | Saturday 2 August 1997 |
| Time: | 15:45 LT |
| Type: | Rutan Defiant |
| Owner/operator: | Daniel C. Taylor-ide |
| Registration: | N20SR |
| MSN: | 0087 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 100 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-DG2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Alma, MI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | (KAMN) |
| Saranac Lake, NY (SLK | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported the aircraft climbed out normally until it reached 500 feet above ground level and then the canopy opened. The pilot loosened his shoulder harness in order to pull down the canopy. One of the passengers tried to hold the canopy closed while the pilot flew the airplane, but was unable to keep it closed. The canopy came open again and the pilot chose to execute an emergency landing into an old clearing which was surrounded by forest. During impact, the pilot was knocked unconscious, and one of the two passengers received minor injuries. The two passengers pulled the pilot from the airplane. He reported that he had not ensured that the canopy was properly latched, and the safety latch was not fully engaged when he had departed. The safety latch used on the airplane was not the safely latched specified by the designer of the airplane. The pilot reported he made four mistakes; they were: 'not fixing the headrest thinking that it was only a piece of loose foam, omitting the checklist for the final flight, omitting checking the latch, and when I changed Burt's [Rutan] safety latch system not coming up with a design that was better.'
Probable Cause: the pilot did not perform an adequate preflight check and he did not perform the takeoff checklist. Factors included the pilot's inadequate design of the safety latch and the canopy inadvertently deploying.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI97LA234
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 13:46 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, 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