What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 2, 2010 privacy data omitted was the sole pilot-in-command of light sport aircraft N334BB a light "sportcruiser".on this date at Gillespie Field (ksee)at approximately 10:38 local time, privacy data omitted took the active runway 27R at ksee with the intention of doing pattern work.privacy data omitted Accelerated the light sportcruiser down the runway, and soon after rotation noticed that the canopy system was open (unlatched). privacy data omitted Reached over to the right side of the cockpit to try and pull the canopy rail down again (he said the left side had not popped up yet) and he was not able to secure the canopy. privacy data omitted Then said the left side popped open. privacy data omitted Said he was uncertain just how FAR the canopy would rise up as he climbed into the traffic pattern, so he decided to put his left arm out the bottom of the canopy and hold it down while he tried to fly the airplane back to the departure runway. Because privacy data omitted was holding the canopy with his left arm and hand, he had to relinquish control of the control stick. privacy data omitted Was now trying to fly the plane with his right hand and manipulate the throttle and mic button all with the same hand. privacy data omitted Said that he feared the canopy would open completely ( even though the canopy is designed to stay down with the airloads and the slipstream).witnesses all state that the flight profile was extremely irratic (pitch up, then quickly down and extreme bank angles and power changes). privacy data omitted Confirmed the witness statements stating that it was very difficult to fly and hold the canopy that he was needlessly holding in a down position while trying to fly.privacy data omitted Made a call to the control tower stating he had an emergency and wanted to return and land on runway 9L. privacy data omitted Performed a 270 degree turn back to final (rwy 9L). His approach on final was very low and then he said he saw the power lines short of final. (Power lines for the trolley) privacy data omitted said he pulled back abruptly to avoid the power lines, however, the airplane landing gear caught the wires and the plane slowed dramatically and flipped over (tail over nose) and crashed upside-down on cuyamaca blvd. Pilot privacy data omitted was initially trapped in the aircraft after it crashed in an invertedposition. His left arm still protruded from the left canopy rail where he said he was holding the canopy down. El Cajon firefighters extricated privacy data omitted from the aircraft which was essentially intact. privacy data omitted Had minor injuries to his arm.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 2, 2010 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE SOLE PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT N334BB A LIGHT "SPORTCRUISER".ON THIS DATE AT GILLESPIE FIELD (KSEE)AT APPROXIMATELY 10:38 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK THE ACTIVE RUNWAY 27R AT KSEE WITH THE INTENTION OF DOING PATTERN WORK.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ACCELERATED THE LIGHT SPORTCRUISER DOWN THE RUNWAY, AND SOON AFTER ROTATION NOTICED THAT THE CANOPY SYSTEM WAS OPEN (UNLATCHED). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REACHED OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT TO TRY AND PULL THE CANOPY RAIL DOWN AGAIN (HE SAID THE LEFT SIDE HAD NOT POPPED UP YET) AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO SECURE THE CANOPY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN SAID THE LEFT SIDE POPPED OPEN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE WAS UNCERTAIN JUST HOW FAR THE CANOPY WOULD RISE UP AS HE CLIMBED INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, SO HE DECIDED TO PUT HIS LEFT ARM OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANOPY AND HOLD IT DOWN WHILE HE TRIED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BACK TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY.BECAUSE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS HOLDING THE CANOPY WITH HIS LEFT ARM AND HAND, HE HAD TO RELINQUISH CONTROL OF THE CONTROL STICK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOW TRYING TO FLY THE PLANE WITH HIS RIGHT HAND AND MANIPULATE THE THROTTLE AND MIC BUTTON ALL WITH THE SAME HAND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THAT HE FEARED THE CANOPY WOULD OPEN COMPLETELY ( EVEN THOUGH THE CANOPY IS DESIGNED TO STAY DOWN WITH THE AIRLOADS AND THE SLIPSTREAM).WITNESSES ALL STATE THAT THE FLIGHT PROFILE WAS EXTREMELY IRRATIC (PITCH UP, THEN QUICKLY DOWN AND EXTREME BANK ANGLES AND POWER CHANGES). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONFIRMED THE WITNESS STATEMENTS STATING THAT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FLY AND HOLD THE CANOPY THAT HE WAS NEEDLESSLY HOLDING IN A DOWN POSITION WHILE TRYING TO FLY.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A CALL TO THE CONTROL TOWER STATING HE HAD AN EMERGENCY AND WANTED TO RETURN AND LAND ON RUNWAY 9L. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED A 270 DEGREE TURN BACK TO FINAL (RWY 9L). HIS APPROACH ON FINAL WAS VERY LOW AND THEN HE SAID HE SAW THE POWER LINES SHORT OF FINAL. (POWER LINES FOR THE TROLLEY) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE PULLED BACK ABRUPTLY TO AVOID THE POWER LINES, HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE LANDING GEAR CAUGHT THE WIRES AND THE PLANE SLOWED DRAMATICALLY AND FLIPPED OVER (TAIL OVER NOSE) AND CRASHED UPSIDE-DOWN ON CUYAMACA BLVD.PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INITIALLY TRAPPED IN THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT CRASHED IN AN INVERTEDPOSITION. HIS LEFT ARM STILL PROTRUDED FROM THE LEFT CANOPY RAIL WHERE HE SAID HE WAS HOLDING THE CANOPY DOWN. EL CAJON FIREFIGHTERS EXTRICATED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS ESSENTIALLY INTACT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD MINOR INJURIES TO HIS ARM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.