CEN21LA395

The pilot was returning the amateur-built airplane to the airport shortly after departure. The pilot of another airplane in the area reported that he heard the accident pilot announce that he was returning to the airport due to an unspecified canopy problem. The accident airplane subsequently pitched nose down into a small lake near the airport. Postaccident examination of the recovered components found no anomalies. Portions of the canopy system were recovered, including the left hinge, but the right hinge and latching mechanism were not recovered. It is possible the left or right latching mechanism, which operated independently of each other, failed, or became disengaged; however, no determination could be made regarding the condition of the canopy at the time the pilot communicated the unspecified canopy issue. It is also possible that an open canopy could have affected the airplane’s flight performance. However, due to the unique nature of the amateur-built airplane, the flight control and performance effects of a potentially open canopy during flight could not be quantified. Based on the available evidence, the accident was the result of a loss of control for a reason that could not be determined.

The pilot owned and constructed the amateur-built airplane, which received its airworthiness certification on June 27, 2019. According to the pilot’s logbook, the first flight of the airplane occurred on November 18, 2020, and the airplane had accumulated 7.3 hours of flight time as of July 31, 2021. The final entry in the pilot’s logbook, dated August 27, 2021, was for a flight review in a different make and model airplane. According to information provided by the pilot’s son, the canopy frame was hinged at its forward end on the left and right sides of the fuselage. The canopy had two latches, one on the left and one on the right side of the canopy. The latch operating handle, which was about midway between the forward and aft end of the canopy, operated a pin that engaged with the bulkhead just aft of the canopy’s rear bow. No data were available to determine the effect of an open canopy on the airplane’s performance. The airplane impacted a small lake about 0.8 miles east of the approach end of runway 20. A pilot in another airplane reported hearing the pilot announce, over the radio, that he was returning to the airport due to a canopy problem. Postaccident examination of the airplane showed fragmentation of the structure. The airplane’s engine was not recovered. The left forward canopy hinge and portions of the canopy bow (with clear plexiglass still adhered) were recovered. The right canopy hinge and canopy locking mechanism were not found. The left canopy hinge pivot bolt remained in place. Examination of the recovered components revealed no anomalies.