N105JT

On October 22, 2018, a Zenith CH601 (N105JT) was involved in an incident near Junction City, KS. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to secure the canopy latch before takeoff, which resulted in the canopy opening in flight and the subsequent loss of airplane control.

The pilot in the experimental amateur-built airplane reported that about 5 minutes after takeoff, he felt air coming into the cockpit from the canopy. He noticed that the canopy latch was not adequately secured and attempted to secure it, but the canopy opened. The airplane became very difficult to control with the canopy open and he made an emergency landing in a cornfield. During landing, the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA037. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N105JT.