20050912023389I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Aerovd L29 · Reading, PA · September 12, 2005

Date: September 12, 2005 · 09:56 local
Place: Reading, PA
Airport: Reading Municipal Gen Carl A Spaatz
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N229DJ
Reported as: Aerovd L29
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,666 total142 in this make and model30 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) Pilot stated that he departed Reading airport (rdg) on runway 31. After rotation and gear retraction, the aircraft accelerated to 150 knots. At about 500 feet altitude, the cockpit canopy departed the aircraft. Pilot returned the aircraft to rdg without incident. Canopy was found in an open grass field, about 1 mile from the end of runway 31. Pilot stated that he inadvertently overlooked latching/locking the canopy. In order to prevent a recurrence of this problem, the aircraft is being fitted with a cockpit warning system, linked with the latching mechanism, which includes a horn and light to alert the pilot if the throttle is advanced and the canopy is not latched.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED READING AIRPORT (RDG) ON RUNWAY 31. AFTER ROTATION AND GEAR RETRACTION, THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED TO 150 KNOTS. AT ABOUT 500 FEET ALTITUDE, THE COCKPIT CANOPY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO RDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. CANOPY WAS FOUND IN AN OPEN GRASS FIELD, ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 31. PILOT STATED THAT HE INADVERTENTLY OVERLOOKED LATCHING/LOCKING THE CANOPY. IN ORDER TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM, THE AIRCRAFT IS BEING FITTED WITH A COCKPIT WARNING SYSTEM, LINKED WITH THE LATCHING MECHANISM, WHICH INCLUDES A HORN AND LIGHT TO ALERT THE PILOT IF THE THROTTLE IS ADVANCED AND THE CANOPY IS NOT LATCHED.