What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot rated privacy data omitted passinger in this accident had just purchased this aircraft in March. The pilot records could not be located. Subsequently none of his flight information is available. According to the airport employee on duty at the time of the accident, the pilot had lived and flown out of the Collegedale airport for a long time and had previously owned a Cessna 150 or 172, he couldn't remember but that thepilot kept it in Collegedale and to his knowledge had not flown in sometime. According to passinger, the pilot hired him to fly with him until he felt comfortable with this new aircraft. The pilot took the aircraft out solo for approximately 2 flight hours and then he and the owner went out on their first flight. Upon initial starting of the aircraft, the battery was to low to start the engine. The owner unbuckled to get out to help another individual at the airport jump off his aircraft but the other individual waived him off. According to passinger, the pilot appeared to rebuckle his seat belt according to the passinger, it appeared to be buckled but he could not actually see the buckle in pilot's lap because of the center console design of the aircraft. After the aircraft was successfully jump started, they had an uneventful takeoff and proceeded to a practice area east of the Collegedale airport. While flying straight and level in the practice area at approximately 2500 feet, the canopy came out of it's latches and, according to passinger it made avery loud noise. According to passinger, the pilot, who was on the controls when the canopy came unlatched, put the aircraft into a nose low condition. This nose low condition caused them to move forward against their seatbelts and then the pilot's seat belt did not hold him and he fell further forward while holding on to the control putting the aircraft further into a nose low situation and he dynamically rolled out of the aircraft. According to passinger it all happened in seconds and he had no time to react. Once the pilot departed the aircraft, the passinger was able to arrest the dive condition, recover the aircraft, return to the Collegedale airport and alert authorities as to the situation. The aircraft was inspected and the seat belts removed and tested and they functioned properly.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT RATED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PASSINGER IN THIS ACCIDENT HAD JUST PURCHASED THIS AIRCRAFT IN MARCH. THE PILOT RECORDS COULD NOT BE LOCATED. SUBSEQUENTLY NONE OF HIS FLIGHT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT EMPLOYEE ON DUTY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD LIVED AND FLOWN OUT OF THE COLLEGEDALE AIRPORT FOR A LONG TIME AND HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED A CESSNA 150 OR 172, HE COULDN'T REMEMBER BUT THAT THEPILOT KEPT IT IN COLLEGEDALE AND TO HIS KNOWLEDGE HAD NOT FLOWN IN SOMETIME. ACCORDING TO PASSINGER, THE PILOT HIRED HIM TO FLY WITH HIM UNTIL HE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS NEW AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT TOOK THE AIRCRAFT OUT SOLO FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 FLIGHT HOURS AND THEN HE AND THE OWNER WENT OUT ON THEIR FIRST FLIGHT. UPON INITIAL STARTING OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE BATTERY WAS TO LOW TO START THE ENGINE. THE OWNER UNBUCKLED TO GET OUT TO HELP ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL AT THE AIRPORT JUMP OFF HIS AIRCRAFT BUT THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL WAIVED HIM OFF. ACCORDING TO PASSINGER, THE PILOT APPEARED TO REBUCKLE HIS SEAT BELT ACCORDING TO THE PASSINGER, IT APPEARED TO BE BUCKLED BUT HE COULD NOT ACTUALLY SEE THE BUCKLE IN PILOT'S LAP BECAUSE OF THE CENTER CONSOLE DESIGN OF THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUCCESSFULLY JUMP STARTED, THEY HAD AN UNEVENTFUL TAKEOFF AND PROCEEDED TO A PRACTICE AREA EAST OF THE COLLEGEDALE AIRPORT. WHILE FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL IN THE PRACTICE AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 2500 FEET, THE CANOPY CAME OUT OF IT'S LATCHES AND, ACCORDING TO PASSINGER IT MADE AVERY LOUD NOISE. ACCORDING TO PASSINGER, THE PILOT, WHO WAS ON THE CONTROLS WHEN THE CANOPY CAME UNLATCHED, PUT THE AIRCRAFT INTO A NOSE LOW CONDITION. THIS NOSE LOW CONDITION CAUSED THEM TO MOVE FORWARD AGAINST THEIR SEATBELTS AND THEN THE PILOT'S SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HIM AND HE FELL FURTHER FORWARD WHILE HOLDING ON TO THE CONTROL PUTTING THE AIRCRAFT FURTHER INTO A NOSE LOW SITUATION AND HE DYNAMICALLY ROLLED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. ACCORDING TO PASSINGER IT ALL HAPPENED IN SECONDS AND HE HAD NO TIME TO REACT. ONCE THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, THE PASSINGER WAS ABLE TO ARREST THE DIVE CONDITION, RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT, RETURN TO THE COLLEGEDALE AIRPORT AND ALERT AUTHORITIES AS TO THE SITUATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND THE SEAT BELTS REMOVED AND TESTED AND THEY FUNCTIONED PROPERLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.