What happened
On May 17, 2000, a privately operated Rutan Puffer Cozy was performing a local flight from Nantes-Atlantique Airport (AD Nantes). During the takeoff roll on runway 03, only a few meters above the ground, the aircraft's canopy opened approximately ten centimeters.
The pilot attempted to manually close the canopy with both hands, but was unable to secure it. This event caused the aircraft to pitch forward, leading to the nose gear and subsequently the main landing gear making contact with the runway. Despite the instability, the pilot attempted to continue the takeoff, performing a short circuit around the airfield while holding the canopy closed with one hand. During the subsequent landing, the nose gear—which had been torn off during the initial impact on the runway—collapsed. The aircraft traveled approximately 300 meters along the runway before coming to a complete stop.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the canopy locking mechanism. The Rutan Puffer Cozy utilizes a dual-lever system to ensure the canopy is securely locked. The investigation established that prior to takeoff, the pilot had only partially engaged one of the two required locking levers.