What happened
On May 17, 2006, a North American P-51D Mustang was participating in a formation flight with a Douglas AD-4N Skyraider. The formation was en route from Woodchurch, England, to Berlin-Schönefeld for the International Air Show (ILA). While cruising at approximately 2,000 ft at a speed of 210 kt near the northern outskirts of Münster, the aircraft's sliding canopy suddenly separated from the fuselage.
Upon detachment, the canopy struck the fuselage and the tail section of the aircraft, breaking into multiple pieces. Fragments of the plexiglass and the canopy frame fell to the ground, causing minor damage to a garage roof and a garden marquee. The two occupants of the P-51D Mustang were uninjured.
Following the incident, the pilot contacted Langen Flight Information Service (FIS) to report the event. After confirming the aircraft remained airworthy, the pilot did not declare an emergency. Due to the suction effect caused by the open cockpit, all navigational charts were lost from the aircraft. Consequently, the pilot of the Skyraider took the lead, and the formation continued to Berlin at a reduced speed, landing without further incident.
The investigation
The BFU examined the aircraft at Berlin-Schönefeld the following day. Investigators inspected the airframe and found no evidence of component failure within the cockpit canopy structure itself. The three guide rails for the sliding canopy were intact, as was the cable-driven mechanism and the locking crank.
Debris from the canopy was recovered from the northern outskirts of Münster. While most of the frame was found in three distinct locations, a fourth piece—the front right locking and sliding mechanism—could not be located by investigators. Analysis of the remaining left side of the canopy frame revealed that the mechanism is secured by a single 6 mm bolt to allow the rollers to pivot within the fuselage rails.