NTSB Report on Bill Phillips' Accident

Peter Dohm wrote:

Really, all of this is still just speculation whether there is some sound
reason that the canopy might not have been fully latched and on how BWB's
condition might have progressed during the flight if the takeoff and climb
had been uneventfull.

...I am willing to speculate that pilot incapacitation was not the root
cause of this accident.

Which brings back to the issue of the canopy...

I don't think pilot incapacitation is the root cause of the accident,
either. However, pilot *impairment* may well have been a contributing
cause.

Let's play NTSB here, and step through the known facts.

1. Was the canopy open at time of impact?

A. No damage to the canopy latches, and significant sideways impact
damage to the canopy hinges. Canopy was probably open at the time of
impact.

2. Had the canopy been properly latched at the time of takeoff?

Nothing overt, here. No detected damage to the latching mechanism. No
previous problems noted with the latch on the accident airplane.
Aircraft equipped with a pressurized seal that may have held the canopy
in place until the airspeed rose to the point where lift forces on the
canopy may have overcome the friction of the seal.

3. Would an unlatched canopy cause the airplane to be uncontrollable?

A. The kit manufacturer says no. Several owners of that aircraft type
have reported open canopies in flight with varying effects of control of
the aircraft.

There were two other accidents involving open Lancair canopies within
six months of Phillips'. In the first case, witnesses reported that the
pilot had trouble closing the canopy before takeoff. The canopy opened
after takeoff, and witnesses report seeing the canopy bob up and down
like the pilot was trying to close it. Engine power was lost, but as
there was no reaction, it's possible the pilot killed the throttle to
try to reduce the airflow over the canopy to assist in closing it. The
airplane pitched nose down and descended in a left-hand turn. No
mechanical cause was found for the reduction in power.

In the second case, the pilot apparently failed to latch the canopy. He
reports the canopy oscillated on its own, and that pitch control of
the aircraft became very difficult. The pilot brought the plane around,
but wasn't able to maintain the approach path and landed short.

In short, everyone who experienced an open canopy and lived reported
that the airplane was at least somewhat controllable. There is only one
other instance of a fatality after a Lancair open canopy, and that case
exhibited a simple stall with no outward signs of control trouble.

(More discussion at:

http://98.192.103.179/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=296

4. Was the pilot qualified to fly the aircraft?

A. Yes. ATP with 4,500 hours, including 150 in type.

5. Were there factors that may have affected the pilot's ability to
control the aircraft?

Evidence of use of sedatives, painkillers, and muscle relaxants. Side
effects of Vicodin can include dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness,
euphoria, changes in mood, and mental fogginess.


I suspect the NTSB probable cause will be similar to that of the April
2008 fatality: "The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction with the canopy
during takeoff." They'll probably add a comment about pilot impairment,
as well.

I don't think the heart trouble or the lying on the medical will even
gain a mention, in the Probable Cause. However, since Phillips gained
his medical by fraud, the insurance company has grounds to deny any claim.

Ron Wanttaja