What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 10, 2026 at approximately 10:00AM local time, privacy data omitted, a zodiak CH650B, departed Westerly Airport (wst) on runway 7.
Upon departure, the canopy popped open on climb out. The canopy was remaining in the closed, but unlatched, position on crosswind and downwind. Upon turning base leg, the canopy opened fully creating significant drag. Airman stated the aircraft was very difficult to control and he needed to add full throttle to arrest descent.
The descent was arrested at approximately 300 feet. Airman proceeded to make turn to final and passed runway 7 entry. He reduced throttle at approximately 10 feet over the ground. The aircraft stalled and landed hard on the gear. The aircraft nosed over and stopped on runway. There were no injuries and he self-egressed. Airman states he did not have to unlatch any system to climb out. Action air service inc. got direction from airport management and moved aircraft to tie down at dooneys FBO.
During the post-accident inspection with FAA inspector, the checks on the canopy showed that the system was functioning correctly and the canopy was found to still be able to be fully closed and latched with no movement. The continuity of the movement of the system was still appropriate. Airman does not remember if he latched it fully before departure, but it appears that the system was installed and worked correctly prior to this isolated incident. There is a checklist item under run-up/before take off to secure canopy.
Post accident aircraft inspection shows substantial damage to the propeller, engine compartment, all three gear assemblies and canopy latch area. There is a breech of the firewall from the impact and the engine compartment is also crushed into the oil system from the nose gear penetrating the area from the hard landing. The nose gear is bent 90 degrees upward and embedded into the bottom of the engine compartment. The aircraft also shows demarcation in several areas. The floor below the rudders as well as the wing spar shows impact markings from where the gear pushed through the structure. There is damage to the wings from the main gear as well. The control sticks are jammed and do not freely move. The aircraft is not airworthy at this time. The aircraft is tied down at the airport currently.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 10, 2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00AM LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A ZODIAK CH650B, DEPARTED WESTERLY AIRPORT (WST) ON RUNWAY 7.
UPON DEPARTURE, THE CANOPY POPPED OPEN ON CLIMB OUT. THE CANOPY WAS REMAINING IN THE CLOSED, BUT UNLATCHED, POSITION ON CROSSWIND AND DOWNWIND. UPON TURNING BASE LEG, THE CANOPY OPENED FULLY CREATING SIGNIFICANT DRAG. AIRMAN STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND HE NEEDED TO ADD FULL THROTTLE TO ARREST DESCENT.
THE DESCENT WAS ARRESTED AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET. AIRMAN PROCEEDED TO MAKE TURN TO FINAL AND PASSED RUNWAY 7 ENTRY. HE REDUCED THROTTLE AT APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET OVER THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND LANDED HARD ON THE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND STOPPED ON RUNWAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND HE SELF-EGRESSED. AIRMAN STATES HE DID NOT HAVE TO UNLATCH ANY SYSTEM TO CLIMB OUT. ACTION AIR SERVICE INC. GOT DIRECTION FROM AIRPORT MANAGEMENT AND MOVED AIRCRAFT TO TIE DOWN AT DOONEYS FBO.
DURING THE POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION WITH FAA INSPECTOR, THE CHECKS ON THE CANOPY SHOWED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY AND THE CANOPY WAS FOUND TO STILL BE ABLE TO BE FULLY CLOSED AND LATCHED WITH NO MOVEMENT. THE CONTINUITY OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE SYSTEM WAS STILL APPROPRIATE. AIRMAN DOES NOT REMEMBER IF HE LATCHED IT FULLY BEFORE DEPARTURE, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED AND WORKED CORRECTLY PRIOR TO THIS ISOLATED INCIDENT. THERE IS A CHECKLIST ITEM UNDER RUN-UP/BEFORE TAKE OFF TO SECURE CANOPY.
POST ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT INSPECTION SHOWS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ALL THREE GEAR ASSEMBLIES AND CANOPY LATCH AREA. THERE IS A BREECH OF THE FIREWALL FROM THE IMPACT AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS ALSO CRUSHED INTO THE OIL SYSTEM FROM THE NOSE GEAR PENETRATING THE AREA FROM THE HARD LANDING. THE NOSE GEAR IS BENT 90 DEGREES UPWARD AND EMBEDDED INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE AIRCRAFT ALSO SHOWS DEMARCATION IN SEVERAL AREAS. THE FLOOR BELOW THE RUDDERS AS WELL AS THE WING SPAR SHOWS IMPACT MARKINGS FROM WHERE THE GEAR PUSHED THROUGH THE STRUCTURE. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE WINGS FROM THE MAIN GEAR AS WELL. THE CONTROL STICKS ARE JAMMED AND DO NOT FREELY MOVE. THE AIRCRAFT IS NOT AIRWORTHY AT THIS TIME. THE AIRCRAFT IS TIED DOWN AT THE AIRPORT CURRENTLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.