# Accident 19960630019999A: Amtr EYAS, Santa Rosa, CA, June 30, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 30, 1996, 11:00 local time
- Place: Santa Rosa, CA
- Airport: Sonoma County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.4993° N, 122.7593° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4993&lon=-122.7593&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8012U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8012U-1997-12-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Rominger David E EYAS (registry code 05628DK, https://openairdocs.org/model/rominger-david-e-eyas) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR EYAS
- Reported engine: AMTRVW VW*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 171 total, 7 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX96LA261](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA261) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960630019999A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE'S CANOPY CAME OPEN ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND SEPARATED. THE PILOT'S VISION WAS IMPAIRED BY AIR BLASTING IN HIS FACE. HE THEN 'CLOSED' THE THROTTLE, AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO A HARD LANDING ON THE RUNWAY AND WAS DAMAGED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT FAA PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN APPLICATION FOR AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE; THE PILOT/BUILDER WAS DENIED AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. AFTER ADDRESSING SOME OF THE DISCREPANCIES AND MAKING SOME CHANGES, THE PILOT/BUILDER SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE TO AN FAA DESIGNATED AIRWORTHINESS REPRESENTATIVE (DAR). THE FAA DAR ISSUED THE CERTIFICATE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS, WHO WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPLANE, EXAMINED IT. THEY NOTED THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN MODIFIED IN A MANNER DEFINED AS MAJOR CHANGES IN DESIGN. ONE OF THE MODIFICATIONS CONCERNED THE AIRPLANE'S CANOPY. AFTER THE POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION, THE FAA DETERMINED 'THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT IN A SAFE CONDITION FOR OPERATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.'

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX96LA261](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA261), Jun 30, 1996: Rominger Eyas (N8012U), Santa Rosa, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: an inadequate design change by the pilot/builder of the airplane's canopy; a malfunction of the canopy, which resulted in its separation; and failure of the pilot to flare the airplane during an…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.