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.