20020410010779I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr Mustangthund · Lakeland, FL · April 10, 2002

Date: April 10, 2002 · 13:15 local
Place: Lakeland, FL
Airport: Lakeland Regional Airport
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N58EE
Reported as: Amtr Mustangthund
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,000 total300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While setting up for a pass at the Lakeland airport, during the sun n fun manufacturers showcase, the canopy departed the aircraft. The aircraft was at 500 feet AGL with a speed of approx. 250 KTS. A normal landing was completed after the canopy failed. Inspection of the latch system showed that it was still positively latched with no evidence of failure. The pieces of canopy landed in a congested area with no injuries. Most of the pieces of canopy were picked up and taken by spectators so a determination of exactly what failed may never be known.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE SETTING UP FOR A PASS AT THE LAKELAND AIRPORT, DURING THE SUN N FUN MANUFACTURERS SHOWCASE, THE CANOPY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT 500 FEET AGL WITH A SPEED OF APPROX. 250 KTS. A NORMAL LANDING WAS COMPLETED AFTER THE CANOPY FAILED. INSPECTION OF THE LATCH SYSTEM SHOWED THAT IT WAS STILL POSITIVELY LATCHED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE. THE PIECES OF CANOPY LANDED IN A CONGESTED AREA WITH NO INJURIES. MOST OF THE PIECES OF CANOPY WERE PICKED UP AND TAKEN BY SPECTATORS SO A DETERMINATION OF EXACTLY WHAT FAILED MAY NEVER BE KNOWN.