Incident Details
About five minutes after takeoff in an experimental amateur-built airplane, the pilot reported feeling air entering the cockpit from the canopy. Upon noticing that the canopy latch was not adequately secured, the pilot attempted to secure it. However, during this attempt, the canopy opened fully. With the canopy open, the airplane became very difficult to control.
Emergency Landing
The pilot executed an emergency landing in a cornfield. During the landing, the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop.
Damage Assessment
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.