- Date
- May 7, 2017, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N458VJohn Murphy JSX-2
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170507009649A
- Case key
- 95143
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to ensure that the canopy was properly secured before takeoff, which resulted in an unstable landing flare and hard landing.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after takeoff, about "100 ft. above ground level," the canopy opened and the airplane became "very hard to control." He added that he was able to return to the airport to land; however, during the approach, the airplane was unstable due to the "pitching and yawing." Subsequently, during the landing flare, when he reduced engine power, the airplane touched down hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane exited the runway to the right and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, after takeoff, about "100 ft. above ground level" the canopy opened and the airplane became "very hard to control". He added, that he was able to return to the airport to land, however during the approach the airplane was unstable due to the "pitching and yawing". Subsequently, during the landing flare when he reduced engine power, the airplane touched down hard and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane exited the runway to the right, and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N458V
- Reported as
- John Murphy JSX-2 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 004
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 7
- Engine
- PBS Velkabites TJ-100, 247 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 27, 2017
- Departed
- SUS · Chesterfield, MO
- Destination
- SUS · Chesterfield, MO
- Airport
- SUS · Spirit Of St Louis, runway 8R, 7,485 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Airframe parachute
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2016
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 10,750 total · 15 in this make and model · 10,650 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUS
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 28, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.