# Incident 20080919849499I: Aerovd L29, Virginia Beach, VA, September 19, 2008

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 19, 2008, 18:10 local time
- Place: Virginia Beach, VA
- Airport: Oceana Nas /Apollo Soucek Fiel
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.8529° N, 75.9780° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Virginia Beach, VA, within about 9 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.8529&lon=-75.9780&mi=10
- Aircraft: N129DH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N129DH-2020-01-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerovodochody L-29 DELFIN (registry code 0564310, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerovodochody-l-29-delfin) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROVD L29
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,600 total, 150 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080919849499I

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 1810 HRS.,  AEROVODOCHODY L-29, N129DH, WAS ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 5L AT NAS OCENA (NTU).  WITNESS ACCOUNTS NOTED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED FOR TAKEOFF, THE FORWARD CANOPY (PILOT POSITION) WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE DEPARTED OVER THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT.  THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED TO CONTINUE THE INITIAL CLIMB, THEN IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A LEFT HAND PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 5L AT NTU.  DURING THIS TIME, THE PILOT CONTACTED OCEANA ATC AND REQUESTED ARFF.  THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING AND TAXIIED BACK TO THE RAMP.  INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.  THE CANOPY WAS RECOVERED BY ARFF AND MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DETERMINED IT WAS SERVICEABLE, SUSTAINING ONLY SCRATCH’S TO THE FRAME AND PLEXIGLAS.  IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, HE STATED HE WAS CONDUCTING A “MEDIA FLIGHT” WITH ONE PASSENGER AND APPARENTLY FAILED TO ENSURE THE CANOPY WAS COMPLETELY SECURED IN THE LOCKED POSITION PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.  HE STATED HE MAY HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED DURING HIS PASSENGER BRIEF AS THE PERSON WAS A DOUBLE AMPUTEE.  THE AIRCRAFT IS CERTIFICATED EXPERIMENTAL/ EXHIBITION.

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.

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