- Date
- October 6, 1988, 14:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Redding, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N197RLGlasair FT
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881006044709A
- Case key
- 26163
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
On takeoff, plt's canopy came open. When plt diverted attention to close canopy, acft collided with a tree, then terrain. Investigation revealed no canopy latch malfunction. Post acc exam showed that the plts canopy latches were undamaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N197RL
- Reported as
- Glasair FT
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 197
- Airframe hours
- 320
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald L. Leblanc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1988 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- Q93 · Redding, CA
- Destination
- SFF · Spokane, WA
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 384 total · 308 in this make and model · 335 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDD, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N197RL · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.