What happened
On June 11, 2013, an experimental-amateur built Vans RV-12, registration N666BE, was involved in an accident during takeoff from Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) in Chadron, Nebraska. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions with 10 miles of visibility.
As the aircraft became airborne after rotating at 70 mph, the tip-up canopy opened approximately 3 inches. The pilot attempted to manage the situation by grabbing the canopy, lowering the nose, and reducing power to land on the remaining runway. While the aircraft was approximately 50 feet above the runway and traveling at 80 mph, the pilot lost his grip, and the canopy moved to a full vertical position. This movement caused the nose to pitch over further. The pilot reported that the elevator and rudder became unresponsive to control inputs during this phase. Although the pilot managed to level the wings, the aircraft performed a hard landing that resulted in 1 serious injury and substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and found the canopy latch was functional, though it exhibited slight resistance when locking into the detent. The pilot noted that the latch was difficult to use and admitted he likely failed to secure it properly.
Data from a handheld GPSMAP 496 showed the aircraft departed runway 2 at 0633:21 local time, reaching a maximum average groundspeed of 64 knots. Data from the onboard Dynon FlightDEK D 180 display provided no useful information due to the short duration of the flight.
Van's Aircraft, Inc., stated they had not performed specific testing regarding the aerodynamic effects of the canopy opening in flight. While the manufacturer noted previous instances of canopy openings in similar models that did not result in loss of control, this was the first reported case where pitch authority was affected by a canopy opening in their aircraft line.