What happened
On 31 July 2015, a private local flight departed from the Berck-sur-Mer aerodrome in France. Shortly after rotation from runway 24, the canopy of the Evektor Aerotechnik Team Eurostar EV 97, identified as 59CVF, opened unexpectedly. Witnesses and video surveillance footage confirmed that the aircraft experienced significant attitude changes, oscillating between nose-down and nose-up positions, before briefly stabilizing in level flight. However, the aircraft then entered a left-hand turn with an increasing bank angle. The pilot was unable to maintain control, and the microlight struck the ground approximately 710 meters from the runway threshold, 190 meters to the left of the centerline. The accident resulted in one fatality and the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the canopy and the flight path reconstruction. Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the locking handle was not in the closed position. While the locking pin itself remained undamaged, the examination confirmed the canopy had not been properly secured. Video analysis from the aerodrome's surveillance cameras corroborated that the canopy was open prior to the impact and that the aircraft was in a nose-down attitude with a left bank angle at the moment of collision.
Findings
Technical analysis established that the canopy was not locked prior to takeoff. The investigation identified several contributing factors to the loss of control, including the aerodynamic disturbances and vibrations caused by the open canopy, which diminished the aircraft's controllability. The pilot's sudden surprise at the unexpected opening of the canopy also played a role in the inability to recover the aircraft.