20260513008259A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bonsteel Wayne RV-4 · Conroe, TX · May 13, 2026

Date: May 13, 2026 · 12:30 local
Place: Conroe, TX
Airport: Conroe-North Houston Regional
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N292M
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN26LA205
Reported as: Bonsteel Wayne RV-4
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 18,812 total189 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N292MRegistered now · Bonsteel Wayne RV-4S/N WB001 · Built 2000 Airframe modelBonsteel Wayne RV-4 Engine modelContinental OX-340 series4 cycle

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.

privacy data omitted, A vans RV-4, departed Conroe/north Houston regional airport on rwy 19 with one passenger. Shortly after departure at approximetly 100 AGL the aircraft pilot canopy opened. The pilot elected to abort the take off and land back straight and returned to rwy 19. Aircraft touched down on the rwy numbers at the departure end of 19 and continued to travel off the runway surface to the grass and came to a stop 600FT beyond the departure end of the rwy. Aircraft canopy remained attached to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A VANS RV-4, DEPARTED CONROE/NORTH HOUSTON REGIONAL AIRPORT ON RWY 19 WITH ONE PASSENGER. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE AT APPROXIMETLY 100 AGL THE AIRCRAFT PILOT CANOPY OPENED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKE OFF AND LAND BACK STRAIGHT AND RETURNED TO RWY 19. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY NUMBERS AT THE DEPARTURE END OF 19 AND CONTINUED TO TRAVEL OFF THE RUNWAY SURFACE TO THE GRASS AND CAME TO A STOP 600FT BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY. AIRCRAFT CANOPY REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN26LA205Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportConroe, TXThe pilot’s failure to properly latch the canopy before flight, which led to the canopy opening shortly after takeoff.May 13, 2026 · Substantial damage