What happened
On 7 November 2010, a Pitts S-2B Special, registration G-IIDY, was performing a private flight from Leicester Airport. The aircraft was being operated with two occupants: the pilot flying from the rear seat and a second pilot in the front seat.
During the takeoff roll, as the pilot increased throttle, the canopy became detached from the aircraft. The canopy struck the tail and the right lower main plane before falling to the ground. The pilot immediately aborted the takeoff and taxied the aircraft away from the runway. There were no injuries to the occupants, though the aircraft sustained damage to the canopy frame, the canopy itself, and the fabric on the tail and wing.
The investigation
The investigation examined the cockpit procedures and the aircraft's locking mechanism. Prior to departure, the pilot had closed and locked the canopy. Although the pilot noted that the non-standard warning horn—designed to sound if the locking lever is not fully engaged—did not sound, he proceeded with the takeoff.
Post-accident inspections revealed that the locking mechanism had remained in the locked position, suggesting it had failed to engage correctly with the aircraft fuselage. The pilot noted that while there had been anecdotal reports of similar canopy issues among other Pitts S2B and S2C aircraft in the UK, official CAA records only showed one such detachment in the preceding decade.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the canopy had not been correctly secured before departure.
- The pilot had confirmed the locking lever was in position but did not perform a physical check to ensure the connection was seated.
- The pilot intended to implement a new pre-flight check involving pulling the canopy rearwards and pushing it upwards to verify security in future operations.