What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
03/31/2021 Mtl; an accident investigation at dyl was conducted by operations and airworthiness. The root cause analysis produced the following:
Who - the pilot privacy data omittedprivate pilot certificate number privacy data omitted. privacy data omitted He had 6 hours in type, and 120 hours total time.
The aircraft was N220JD, an experimental home built conventional tail wheel aircraft. The m/m/s is a Waiex/wxb/yx-b, serial number WXB0029. The aircraft had approximately 6 hours total time.
What - the pre-flight was normal, as was the taxi out and run up. He did not fully latch the canopy as he expected a wait at the end of the runway. The time at the run-up pad was minimal and he announced the departure and took the runway for takeoff.
Where/when - on March 22, 2021 at 1630, the office received a call of a reported accident at Doylestown Airport (kdyl) (the accident itself occurred at approximately 16:20). We arrived at the airport at 16:40 and the aircraft in question was being moved to the operator?s hangar.
The departure was normal until the aircraft reached 1800 feet. At that point, as the canopy was not fully secured, the aerodynamic loads overpowered the latch and the canopy opened up. There was a large pitch up moment, and the pilot decided to return to dyl. While on final, the pilot noticed he was low and realized collision with some power lines was imminent, he traded airspeed for altitude to clear the lines. Unfortunately at the at point he was too FAR behind the power curve to recover and the aircraft came to rest about 150 yards short of the runway.
The pilot secured the aircraft as per the emergency shutdown procedures and the airport called the authorities.
The iic arrived at the airport at 16:40 and started the investigation by getting the pertinent information on the pilot, the ship and the circumstances surrounding the incident. A request was sent to airworthiness to make a final determination on the severity of the accident.
Why ? During our discussions and subsequent inspections, it has been determined that the accident was caused by the pilot becoming distracted and not reviewing open items on the checklist.
Airworthiness arrived at the airport on March 24, 2021 at 16:45 local. An inspection was made and the aircraft was noted to have substantial damage, as the aileron and fuselage were compromised. The incident was now classified an accident.
Since there were no injuries and we did not see any willful violations of the cfrs, we feel that counseling would be the best course of action. There will be coordination between the office and the faast team to come up with a program best suited to addressing this issue.
Sas id EA05202102015
NTSB# ERA22LA156
As the FAA filed it
03/31/2021 MTL; AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AT DYL WAS CONDUCTED BY OPERATIONS AND AIRWORTHINESS. THE ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING:
WHO - THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HE HAD 6 HOURS IN TYPE, AND 120 HOURS TOTAL TIME.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS N220JD, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOME BUILT CONVENTIONAL TAIL WHEEL AIRCRAFT. THE M/M/S IS A WAIEX/WXB/YX-B, SERIAL NUMBER WXB0029. THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS TOTAL TIME.
WHAT - THE PRE-FLIGHT WAS NORMAL, AS WAS THE TAXI OUT AND RUN UP. HE DID NOT FULLY LATCH THE CANOPY AS HE EXPECTED A WAIT AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE TIME AT THE RUN-UP PAD WAS MINIMAL AND HE ANNOUNCED THE DEPARTURE AND TOOK THE RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF.
WHERE/WHEN - ON MARCH 22, 2021 AT 1630, THE OFFICE RECEIVED A CALL OF A REPORTED ACCIDENT AT DOYLESTOWN AIRPORT (KDYL) (THE ACCIDENT ITSELF OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 16:20). WE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT 16:40 AND THE AIRCRAFT IN QUESTION WAS BEING MOVED TO THE OPERATOR?S HANGAR.
THE DEPARTURE WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT REACHED 1800 FEET. AT THAT POINT, AS THE CANOPY WAS NOT FULLY SECURED, THE AERODYNAMIC LOADS OVERPOWERED THE LATCH AND THE CANOPY OPENED UP. THERE WAS A LARGE PITCH UP MOMENT, AND THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO DYL. WHILE ON FINAL, THE PILOT NOTICED HE WAS LOW AND REALIZED COLLISION WITH SOME POWER LINES WAS IMMINENT, HE TRADED AIRSPEED FOR ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE LINES. UNFORTUNATELY AT THE AT POINT HE WAS TOO FAR BEHIND THE POWER CURVE TO RECOVER AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ABOUT 150 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.
THE PILOT SECURED THE AIRCRAFT AS PER THE EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES AND THE AIRPORT CALLED THE AUTHORITIES.
THE IIC ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT 16:40 AND STARTED THE INVESTIGATION BY GETTING THE PERTINENT INFORMATION ON THE PILOT, THE SHIP AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE INCIDENT. A REQUEST WAS SENT TO AIRWORTHINESS TO MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION ON THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT.
WHY ? DURING OUR DISCUSSIONS AND SUBSEQUENT INSPECTIONS, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE PILOT BECOMING DISTRACTED AND NOT REVIEWING OPEN ITEMS ON THE CHECKLIST.
AIRWORTHINESS ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT ON MARCH 24, 2021 AT 16:45 LOCAL. AN INSPECTION WAS MADE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOTED TO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AS THE AILERON AND FUSELAGE WERE COMPROMISED. THE INCIDENT WAS NOW CLASSIFIED AN ACCIDENT.
SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND WE DID NOT SEE ANY WILLFUL VIOLATIONS OF THE CFRS, WE FEEL THAT COUNSELING WOULD BE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. THERE WILL BE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE AND THE FAAST TEAM TO COME UP WITH A PROGRAM BEST SUITED TO ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.
SAS ID EA05202102015
NTSB# ERA22LA156
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.