Thanks all for the additional information that helps clear up this tragic accident.

Now damb it to hell!!!!! When are we going to ram into the heads of everyone flying, new pilot-experienced pilot, old guy-young guy, to FLY THE DAMB AIRPLANE!.... we have all seen this type of needless accident multiple times.. Screw the canopy, forget the canopy, fly the Fin ship! Don’t release unless your still on the ground and got stoppable runway in front of you, don’t panic, Deal with the canopy or whatever once your at safe altitude!

Check lists are great, essential, but do we teach how to handle the crap once we stepped into it! First rule, undivided attention to flying the ship when something unexpected happens. We have all seen the panic of guys with unlatched canopies, how bout guys who panic when they loose their airspeed ( seen a guy crash on takeoff due to this panic), or encounter the wasp biting their neck on takeoff, or the snake in the cockpit/rat/mouse. Fly the ship!!!!!!! FIRST, then sort out the stuff when ya got some altitude. Sprung canopies, no airspeed, wasp bit etc aint gonna kill you or someone else, but a panic and loss of control will!

Fact, some sprung open canopies can be reclosed and saved by yawing hard in the direction away from the hinge side. The side and top lid of agcats are known to pop open regularly. We just fly the plane, then when safely clear of the ground/obstacles, yaw hard left to get the top lid to come down n latch, then yaw hard right to get the window to come up n latch. Same goes for the old schweizer 2-22. A hard yaw will keep the canopy from springing over or can help a guy get it back over where it belongs and once the shock is over a guy can get ahold of it and latch it or hold it till landed.

Needless accidents, needless and tragic loss of life. We all need to sit up, pay attention, rethink how/what we teach, and also what we present on biannuals. We simulate rope breaks, have you ever covered an airspeed and had to fly a tow-release-landing without? How about a guy in the back seat who screams out just after breaking ground? How dod the front seater react, how would you react? Panic pull of the stick? Trying to turn around n look back while just above the ground? Bad news!
Think about it.


Dan