A VARGA2150 ON TKOF CLB AT 3 FT THE CANOPY OPENED TO FULL OPEN POS. ON THROTTLING BACK ONE SIDE OF THE CANOPY BROKE LOOSE AND STRUCK THE R SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE.
Synopsis
A VARGA2150 ON TKOF CLB AT 3 FT THE CANOPY OPENED TO FULL OPEN POS. ON THROTTLING BACK ONE SIDE OF THE CANOPY BROKE LOOSE AND STRUCK THE R SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE.
Narrative
AFTER PREFLT INSPECTION I CLBED INTO THE COCKPIT AND CLOSED THE CANOPY TO ITS 1ST OPEN LOCATION (APPROX 1 INCH OPEN). I STARTED THE ENG AND TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP AREA BEFORE RWY 17. AFTER NORMAL RUN-UP; I CLOSED THE CANOPY WITH THE HANDLE. THE HANDLE LOOKED TO BE IN ITS CLOSED AND LOCKED POS. AFTER ANNOUNCING MY DEP INTENTIONS FOR RWY 17 ON THE RADIO; I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. TKOF PROGRESSED NORMALLY UNTIL JUST AFTER ROTATION. WHEN THE PLANE WAS ABOUT 3 FT INTO THE AIR; THE CANOPY OPENED TO ITS FULL OPEN POS AT WHICH POINT I THROTTLED BACK THE ENG AND BEGAN TO LAND. AS I WAS THROTTLING BACK; ONE SIDE OF THE CANOPY BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS TRACK AND ALONG WITH THE TOP ROTATED TO THE R ON ITS PIANO HINGE. THE CANOPY SLAMMED INTO THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE AS THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN. ONCE DOWN I PROCEEDED WITH THE LNDG RUN-OUT AND ANNOUNCED THE ABORTED TKOF. I THEN TURNED ONTO THE TXWY AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS OK AND WAS CLR OF THE RWY. I TAXIED BACK TO THE RUN-UP AREA AND CHKED THE DAMAGE. ONE OF THE CANOPY'S 2 PIANO HINGES WAS BADLY DAMAGED. DECIDING NOT TO CHANCE FURTHER DAMAGE; I TAXIED BACK TO THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA; TIED DOWN THE PLANE; AND CALLED THE PLANE'S OWNER. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROB WAS THAT THE COCKPIT CANOPY WAS NOT FULLY LOCKED EVEN THOUGH THE HANDLE LOOKED TO BE IN THE LOCKED POS. THE CANOPY HANDLE IS LOCATED BEHIND THE PLT'S L SHOULDER MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND CLOSE. THE HANDLE'S POS RELEVANT TO LOCKED AND OPEN IS NOT MARKED. THE ONLY WAY TO DETERMINE THAT THE HANDLE IS CLOSED AND LOCKED IS TO LOOK OVER ONE'S SHOULDER AND SEE IF IT IS IN THE HORIZ POS. BEFORE DEP; THE HANDLE DID LOOK LIKE IT WAS IN THE HORIZ POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CANOPY LATCH IS A 'MICKEY MOUSE' PIECE OF EQUIP LOCATED OVER AND BEHIND THE L SHOULDER. THE RPTR SAID THE CANOPY LATCH HAS NO INDICATOR WHEN LATCHED AND HAS NO MAKINGS THAT INDICATE LOCKED AND OPEN. THE RPTR STATED THE ONLY DAMAGE INCURRED WAS THE L CANOPY SLIDE PIANO HINGE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.