On 11 Oct 2019, a ZENITH ZENITH 601XLB was involved in an aviation accident near Gastonia, NC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to latch the canopy before departure, which resulted in the canopy opening and the subsequent loss of airplane control. This summary draws on records from NTSB.
During takeoff, a canopy opened, causing a hard landing that collapsed the nose landing gear. Postaccident examination found latches in good condition.
Incident Details
A pilot reported that during takeoff, as the airplane departed the ground, the canopy opened. The airplane then landed hard back on the runway, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted a postaccident examination of the airplane. The inspector reported that the canopy latches appeared to be in good condition. The canopy latch handle, located in the middle of the cockpit, operated fine.
Safety Recommendation
The pilot added a safety recommendation to double check the canopy latch before departure.