What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft canopy opened on departure as acft turned downwind for landing, pilot declared an emergency and commenced a right downward descent with impact approximately 3/4 mile north of arpt. (.19) on August 18, 1999, at 1420 hours pacific daylight time, a katana da 20-A1, N854DF, lost flying speed and crashed after takeoff from the in San Carlos, California, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage while the certificated private pilot received minor injuries. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight by diamond aviation under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated from the San Carlos Airport at 1419 on the afternoon of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. While turning crosswind after takeoff, the pilot radioed that he was going to return to the airport due to problems with the canopy. As he turned downwind, the canopy opened into the airflow. The pilot made a forced landing about 0.75 miles off the end of runway 30. The pilot was transported to a hospital, complaining of back pain. A federal aviation administration inspector examined the aircraft after the accident. He stated that he could not identify any malfunctions with either of the canopy latches. He then functionally checked both of the corresponding enunciator lights and found that they were working properly. (-23)the pilot stated that he was on a maintenance test flight for airwest aircraft engines. He stated that he preflighted the aircraft by the checklist, boarded the aircraft and performed an engine start. He checked all the guages and annunciator lights and determined the aircraft safe for flight. He performed the run-up procedures, accomplished a pre-takeoff checklist and requested permission to takeoff. After departure, at approximately 200 feet the left camopy latch popped open. After wings were level, the right canopy latch popped open permitting the canopy to fully open. The pilot stated that at no time during the preflight of takeoff was there any indication that the canopy was not properly latched. However, further investigation by the aircraft manufacturer's representative and aviation inspectors from this office revealed that there was no deformation of damage to left or right canopy latching mechanism of the electical switches. Therefore, WI th no damage noted in the canopy latching mechanism it appears that the caonpy latches were not overcenter and locked.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CANOPY OPENED ON DEPARTURE AS ACFT TURNED DOWNWIND FOR LANDING, PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND COMMENCED A RIGHT DOWNWARD DESCENT WITH IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 3/4 MILE NORTH OF ARPT. (.19) ON AUGUST 18, 1999, AT 1420 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A KATANA DA 20-A1, N854DF, LOST FLYING SPEED AND CRASHED AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE IN SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY DIAMOND AVIATION UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAN CARLOS AIRPORT AT 1419 ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. WHILE TURNING CROSSWIND AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE WAS GOING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE CANOPY. AS HE TURNED DOWNWIND, THE CANOPY OPENED INTO THE AIRFLOW. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ABOUT 0.75 MILES OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 30. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL, COMPLAINING OF BACK PAIN. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY MALFUNCTIONS WITH EITHER OF THE CANOPY LATCHES. HE THEN FUNCTIONALLY CHECKED BOTH OF THE CORRESPONDING ENUNCIATOR LIGHTS AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE WORKING PROPERLY. (-23)THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT FOR AIRWEST AIRCRAFT ENGINES. HE STATED THAT HE PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT BY THE CHECKLIST, BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED AN ENGINE START. HE CHECKED ALL THE GUAGES AND ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS AND DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT SAFE FOR FLIGHT. HE PERFORMED THE RUN-UP PROCEDURES, ACCOMPLISHED A PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKLIST AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO TAKEOFF. AFTER DEPARTURE, AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET THE LEFT CAMOPY LATCH POPPED OPEN. AFTER WINGS WERE LEVEL, THE RIGHT CANOPY LATCH POPPED OPEN PERMITTING THE CANOPY TO FULLY OPEN. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT NO TIME DURING THE PREFLIGHT OF TAKEOFF WAS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT THE CANOPY WAS NOT PROPERLY LATCHED. HOWEVER, FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE AND AVIATION INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO DEFORMATION OF DAMAGE TO LEFT OR RIGHT CANOPY LATCHING MECHANISM OF THE ELECTICAL SWITCHES. THEREFORE, WI TH NO DAMAGE NOTED IN THE CANOPY LATCHING MECHANISM IT APPEARS THAT THE CAONPY LATCHES WERE NOT OVERCENTER AND LOCKED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.