Summary
On October 11, 2019, a Zenith ZENITH 601XLB (N235JH) was involved in an accident near Gastonia, NC. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to latch the canopy before departure, which resulted in the canopy opening and the subsequent loss of airplane control.
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.
This accident is documented in NTSB report GAA20CA027. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N235JH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to latch the canopy before departure, which resulted in the canopy opening and the subsequent loss of airplane control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
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.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA20CA027