What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Monday 6 June 2011, aircraft N94Y, an experimental amateur-built questair "venture 20", experienced canopy disintegration for unknown structural reasons while operating southeast of lake ashby near new Smyrna Beach, FL, at approximately 1400 feet MSL and 230 KIAS. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries in the form of lacerations and wind blast to the face, were treated and released from a local hospital. The aircraft sustained minor damage. N94Y made an undeclared emergency landing at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport (kevb) rw 29 and requested medical assistance. Both members were treated for facial lacerations. Postflight inspection revealed significantly disintegrated canopy, with most of the plexiglass torn off to the frame attachment bonding seam. Several pieces were recovered inside the aircraft, however, most of the plexiglass was lost overboard. Airframe damage includes minor denting of leading edges of vertical and right horizontal stabilizer, several skin gouges and punctures; no spar or control surface damage. Both crewmembers bled during the event recovery, and there is extensive blood spattered inside the cockpit and on the exterior surfaces behind the cockpit. Although birds were observed by the crew in the area, no evidence was found to support a bird strike theory. Thecanopy was the original piece from 1995, and had undergone a series of modifications and at least one plexiglass repair in its lifetime. The passenger had performed a reinforcement of the canopy frame approximately June 2010, but the plexiglass and frame were the original components from 1995. Both crewmembers stated the aircraft is well hangared, and that the fit of the canopy was "perfect". Condition inspection was current. The flight was approximately 5-10 minutes airborne when the event occurred.
As the FAA filed it
ON MONDAY 6 JUNE 2011, AIRCRAFT N94Y, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT QUESTAIR "VENTURE 20", EXPERIENCED CANOPY DISINTEGRATION FOR UNKNOWN STRUCTURAL REASONS WHILE OPERATING SOUTHEAST OF LAKE ASHBY NEAR NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 FEET MSL AND 230 KIAS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES IN THE FORM OF LACERATIONS AND WIND BLAST TO THE FACE, WERE TREATED AND RELEASED FROM A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. N94Y MADE AN UNDECLARED EMERGENCY LANDING AT NEW SMYRNA BEACH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KEVB) RW 29 AND REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. BOTH MEMBERS WERE TREATED FOR FACIAL LACERATIONS.POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY DISINTEGRATED CANOPY, WITH MOST OF THE PLEXIGLASS TORN OFF TO THE FRAME ATTACHMENT BONDING SEAM. SEVERAL PIECES WERE RECOVERED INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT, HOWEVER, MOST OF THE PLEXIGLASS WAS LOST OVERBOARD. AIRFRAME DAMAGE INCLUDES MINOR DENTING OF LEADING EDGES OF VERTICAL AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, SEVERAL SKIN GOUGES AND PUNCTURES; NO SPAR OR CONTROL SURFACE DAMAGE. BOTH CREWMEMBERS BLED DURING THE EVENT RECOVERY, AND THERE IS EXTENSIVE BLOOD SPATTERED INSIDE THE COCKPIT AND ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACES BEHIND THE COCKPIT.ALTHOUGH BIRDS WERE OBSERVED BY THE CREW IN THE AREA, NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO SUPPORT A BIRD STRIKE THEORY. THECANOPY WAS THE ORIGINAL PIECE FROM 1995, AND HAD UNDERGONE A SERIES OF MODIFICATIONS AND AT LEAST ONE PLEXIGLASS REPAIR IN ITS LIFETIME. THE PASSENGER HAD PERFORMED A REINFORCEMENT OF THE CANOPY FRAME APPROXIMATELY JUNE 2010, BUT THE PLEXIGLASS AND FRAME WERE THE ORIGINAL COMPONENTS FROM 1995. BOTH CREWMEMBERS STATED THE AIRCRAFT IS WELL HANGARED, AND THAT THE FIT OF THE CANOPY WAS "PERFECT". CONDITION INSPECTION WAS CURRENT. THE FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES AIRBORNE WHEN THE EVENT OCCURRED.