Pilot Report
According to the pilot, before departing on a local flight, he stored the wing and canopy covers along with his small dog in the baggage compartment. During the initial climb, after retracting the landing gear, the forward-tilting canopy came unlatched and opened to approximately 45 degrees. The pilot attempted to close and relatch the canopy but was unsuccessful, so he decided to return to the departure airport.
Accident Sequence
On the final approach, after extending the landing gear, the airplane lost speed and its descent rate increased. The pilot applied full power, but the airplane landed hard and short of the runway, causing the landing gear to collapse.
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the center wing spar.
Additional Details
The pilot reported that the airplane had an aftermarket drop down step kit that had been removed. However, during removal, the step mechanism was taken out but the brackets extending into the baggage compartment were overlooked. These brackets were attached to the canopy latching mechanism. The pilot believed that his dog accidentally hit the protruding brackets, inadvertently opening the canopy in flight.
The pilot stated that prior to the canopy opening, there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.