What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Low pass over runway. Canopy blew off. Lost control. Crash landed. (.4)while on a local test flight, the aircraft developed a violent vibration and the canopy partially separated causing control of the aircraft to be reduced. To prevent a stall the pilot had to maintain an exaggerated nose down attitude with the aircraft and conducted a full stall hard landing short of the runway. Postcrash examination revealed that one of the wooden propeller blades had cracked. The examination did not provide any evidence that would have caused the blade strike, weakness in the wood, or inadequate laminate bonding. (-23)the aircraft departed 00V on may 9, 1998 at approximately 1325 MDT. Pilot stayed in vicinity of airport and climbed to 9500 feet where he performed routine airwork, stalls, turns etc. After approximately 40 minutes he decended and entered traffic for runway 15. The pilot decided to make a low pass over the runway instead landing. At about mid field the canopy deployed to the full open position (cause unknown) and partially broke loose and went behind the pilots head out of view. According to the pilot the airc aft turned 90 degrees to the left. The aircraft pitched up and also loss power. Reason for loss of power unknown at this time. Pilot controlled the aircraft through a 180 degree turn back to the west while loosing altitude and experiencing at least one of more stalls. The aircraft impatched approximately 500 feet east of the runway and mid field at approximately 1410 MDT. The pilot sustained serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
LOW PASS OVER RUNWAY. CANOPY BLEW OFF. LOST CONTROL. CRASH LANDED. (.4)WHILE ON A LOCAL TEST FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED A VIOLENT VIBRATION AND THE CANOPY PARTIALLY SEPARATED CAUSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE REDUCED. TO PREVENT A STALL THE PILOT HAD TO MAINTAIN AN EXAGGERATED NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND CONDUCTED A FULL STALL HARD LANDING SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE WOODEN PROPELLER BLADES HAD CRACKED. THE EXAMINATION DID NOT PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE BLADE STRIKE, WEAKNESS IN THE WOOD, OR INADEQUATE LAMINATE BONDING. (-23)THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 00V ON MAY 9, 1998 AT APPROXIMATELY 1325 MDT. PILOT STAYED IN VICINITY OF AIRPORT AND CLIMBED TO 9500 FEET WHERE HE PERFORMED ROUTINE AIRWORK, STALLS, TURNS ETC. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES HE DECENDED AND ENTERED TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 15. THE PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER THE RUNWAY INSTEAD LANDING. AT ABOUT MID FIELD THE CANOPY DEPLOYED TO THE FULL OPEN POSITION (CAUSE UNKNOWN) AND PARTIALLY BROKE LOOSE AND WENT BEHIND THE PILOTS HEAD OUT OF VIEW. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRC AFT TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND ALSO LOSS POWER. REASON FOR LOSS OF POWER UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. PILOT CONTROLLED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH A 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TO THE WEST WHILE LOOSING ALTITUDE AND EXPERIENCING AT LEAST ONE OF MORE STALLS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPATCHED APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET EAST OF THE RUNWAY AND MID FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 MDT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.