- Date
- October 31, 2005, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ashland, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N204WCCraig Sonerai II LT
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20051031025799A
- Case key
- 62754
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
A loss of directional control during an emergency landing. A factor in the accident was an unlatched canopy requiring the pilot to hold it closed to maintain aircraft control.
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
The pilot had completed construction of the amateur built airplane, and was in the process of initial flight testing. The pilot had accumulated 4 hours of total flight time in the accident airplane. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot secured the side-opening canopy by engaging three interconnected 1/4-inch pins, into three 1/4-inch mating sleeves. Except for a significant amount of friction between the pins and mating surfaces, there was no locking mechanism for the canopy. Although the pilot did not experience any difficulties during several prior flights, the canopy opened during the initial climb of the accident flight, about 500 feet agl. When the canopy opened fully, the airplane became uncontrollable. Due to airflow over the canopy, the pilot was unable to refasten the pins, and had to hold the canopy closed with his hands. The pilot was able to partially control the airplane, and perform an emergency landing on a 5,602-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. During the landing, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and struck a berm.
Factual narrative
The pilot had completed construction of the amateur built airplane, and was in the process of initial flight testing. The pilot had accumulated 4 hours of total flight time in the accident airplane. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot secured the side-opening canopy by engaging three interconnected 1/4-inch pins, into three 1/4-inch mating sleeves. Except for a significant amount of friction between the pins and mating surfaces, there was no locking mechanism for the canopy. Although the pilot did not experience any difficulties during several prior flights, the canopy opened during the initial climb of the accident flight, about 500 feet agl. When the canopy opened fully, the airplane became uncontrollable. Due to airflow over the canopy, the pilot was unable to refastened the pins, and had to hold the canopy closed with his hands. The pilot was able to partially control the airplane, and perform an emergency landing on a 5,602-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. During the landing, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and struck a berm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N204WC
- Reported as
- Craig Sonerai II LT
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 071795571
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1915CC, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William H. Craig
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- DWU · Ashland, KY
- Destination
- DWU
- Airport
- DWU · Ahland-Boyd County Airport, runway 10, 5,602 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 75
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 4 in this make and model · 215 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 36 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.