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20260417005609I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Andersen Theodore L TAPERWING TA1 · Louisville, KY · April 17, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 17, 2026 · 12:50 local
Place
Louisville, KY
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N450TW
Reported as
Andersen Theodore L Taperwing TA1
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R-985 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
11,441 total
N450TWRegistered now · Andersen Theodore L TAPERWING TA1S/N TA1 · Built 1989Airframe modelAndersen Theodore L TAPERWING TA1Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On April 17, 2026, the aircraft was performing aerobatic maneuvers during a practice session of the airshow when the overhead canopy departed the aircraft. The pilot discontinued the maneuver and verified control of the aircraft before returning to the airport. Airshow personnel in a boat verified the canopy impacted the water and sank. There was no injuries or damage to property on the ground.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 17, 2026, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS DURING A PRACTICE SESSION OF THE AIRSHOW WHEN THE OVERHEAD CANOPY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT DISCONTINUED THE MANEUVER AND VERIFIED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT. AIRSHOW PERSONNEL IN A BOAT VERIFIED THE CANOPY IMPACTED THE WATER AND SANK. THERE WAS NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ON THE GROUND.