ZENITH ZENITH 601XLB
Gastonia, NC — October 11, 2019
Event Information
| Date | October 11, 2019 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA20CA027 |
| Event ID | 20191011X32326 |
| Location | Gastonia, NC |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 35.20195, -81.15028 |
| Airport | GASTONIA MUNI |
| Highest Injury | MINR |
Aircraft
| Make | ZENITH |
| Model | ZENITH 601XLB |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| None | 0 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to latch the canopy before departure, which resulted in the canopy opening and the subsequent loss of airplane control.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that, during takeoff, as the airplane departed the ground, the canopy opened, the airplane landed hard back on the runway, and the nose landing gear collapsed.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that, during a postaccident examination, the canopy latches appeared to be in good condition. He added that the canopy latch handle was located in the middle of the cockpit and operated fine.
The pilot added as a safety recommendation to double check the canopy latch.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.