# Accident 20241207021179A: William M Clapp CLAPP-SABERWING, Valdosta, GA, December 7, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 7, 2024, 10:30 local time
- Place: Valdosta, GA
- Airport: Valdosta Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.7686° N, 83.2712° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.7686&lon=-83.2712&mi=10
- Aircraft: N100SW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N100SW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: William M Clapp CLAPP-SABERWING (registry code 05633X7, https://openairdocs.org/model/william-m-clapp-clapp-saberwing) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Corvair 100HP (registry code 18004, https://openairdocs.org/engine/corvair-100hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: WILLIAM M CLAPP CLAPP-SABERWING
- Reported engine: CORVAIR 100HP
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 358 total, 11 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA25LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241207021179A

## Narrative

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

WHILE IN THE PATTERN ON BASE LEG, THE CANOPY OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME PARTIALLY OPEN. THE RIGHT FRONT LATCH HELD THE CANOPY IN A PARTIALLY CLOSED POSITION UNTIL FINAL APPROACH, AT WHICH POINT THE LATCH CAME LOOSE,

AND THE CANOPY FULLY OPENED. THIS SUDDEN OCCURRENCE CAUSED AN ABRUPT DROP IN THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE

ATTITUDE. AS THE NOSE DROPPED, THE NOSE WHEEL CLIPPED THE GRASS JUST BEFORE THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE

MAIN LANDING GEAR SUBSEQUENTLY MADE HARD CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE PILOT STATED HE FAILED TO SECURE THE MAIN REAR CANOPY LATCH BEFORE THE FLIGHT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA25LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA070), Dec 7, 2024: William M Clapp CLAPP-SABERWING (N100SW), Valdosta, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A hard landing and subsequent gear collapse due to the pilot’s failure to securely close the airplane canopy and its subsequent opening on short final.

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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