Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro SPORTCRUISER N417VR

Summary

On 11 April 2010 at about 19:00 local time, a Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro SPORTCRUISER registered N417VR, operated by LSA LLC, was involved in an accident near Millbrook, New York, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 2010 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Millbrook, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Sky Acres (44N)

Coordinates

41.7072, -73.7378

Aircraft

Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro SPORTCRUISER

Registration

N417VR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

LSA LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Millbrook → Millbrook

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10LA221

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after takeoff while he was distracted by trying to hold shut the unlocked cockpit canopy. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to lock the canopy prior to takeoff, and the inadequate guidance in the Pilot Operating Handbook regarding canopy locking procedures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to several witnesses, the airplane's engine sounded good during the takeoff roll, but at liftoff the wings were rocking and the airplane was not gaining altitude. They said that almost immediately, the airplane banked hard left back toward the airport, and disappeared from view. The sounds of impact were heard, and a fire ensued at ground contact that completely consumed the airplane. Some of the witnesses stated that they saw something fall off of or from the airplane during the turn. A firefighter who responded immediately to the scene said the pilot told him that he tried to hold the canopy shut and fly the airplane at the same time and did not lock the canopy. Postaccident flight testing and information gathered from previous investigations (WPR09LA075 and WPR10LA276) revealed that an unlocked canopy remained slightly ajar in flight. Without being latched, the hinged canopy would rest in the fully closed position. After takeoff, the unlatched canopy lifted from the frame rail. Flight testing revealed that the relative airflow held the canopy in a lowered, slightly-open position, and that the airplane remained fully controllable. Following these three investigations, the manufacturer added a pre-takeoff canopy closed-and-locked check to the checklist, and a canopy unlocked in-flight procedure to the Pilot Operating Handbook.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.