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I had the canopy open up on me 3 times when I had my 360. First time was my own fault, on takeoff roll as soon as I applied power canopy lifted up, I just powered down, stopped and
hatched the canopy. Since then it has become my habit to push up on the canopy as I’m taxing onto the runway.
The other 2 times were both passenger induced while in flight. Both times it got very noisy, windy and cold, but not much change in controlling of the airplane. I had a lanyard attached
to the canopy to help in lowering it. After assuring my passengers that we were in no imminent danger, I had them hold on to the lanyard to prevent canopy oscillation as well as keeping them from further panicking. Both times I kept my attention to flying
the airplane and not the open canopy and landed normally. I’m sure having a lanyard to hold down the canopy helped.
In reading all the discussions on this issue, my concern is how a secondary safety lock would or could hinder emergency egress or rescue. A warning light seems safer in that respect,
but it still has a chance of being missed or ignored. Ultimately it comes down to the pilot to be the last fail safe point. I still continue my habit of pushing up on the canopy as taxing onto the runway in my Legacy trying to prevent another unwanted experience
and email to the list.
Henry Arjad
Legacy N22YY KSNA
From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net]
On Behalf Of Bill Bradburry
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2013 10:14 AM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Re: Legacy Canopy Problem
That is a good point, Mark!
Now is a good time for everybody who has forgot to close the canopy and found it to be a non-event to pipe up with the details. Come on guys, fess up!
Personally, I have experienced the event and if I had been more than a couple of feet off the ground when it happened I would not have survived it. The canopy flies
up and down and with each cycle the pitch control comes and goes.
To those of you who think it is a non-event, like practicing stalls, I say try it! Put on your little test pilot helmet and give it a go!
In the meantime, be sure to add “canopy latched” to the check list and read the damn thing each time you are preparing for takeoff.
Bill
I strongly suspect the reason we don't hear about incidents where an open canopy didn't interfere with controllability is because it's not really an event worth discussing, plus there's an element of embarrassment.
"Hey guys, I forgot to close my canopy before take-off and had to come back to land before I could finish my trip."
Don't really hear too many stories about people forgetting to turn on the transponder either.
"Hey guys, I forgot turn on the transponder before takeoff. ATC reminded me, so I turned it on."
On Tue, Nov 5, 2013 at 6:47 AM, Erik Larson <asw20747@aol.com> wrote:
Guys, I think as a community we are practicing denial. There is a 500 pound gorilla standing in the corner of the room and everyone is ignoring him.
Canopy problems are killing our friends. The solution is not more bells, lights, switches and alarms, but a fail safe secondary sprin- loaded mechanical
latch like the secondary hood latch on your car. A modest team effort exchanging ideas and then teaming up to make some parts for retrofit would do the job.
Hoping your canopy will stay shut is not a plan. Since fatal results are frequently obtained, lights and switches are not enough.
I must say, I ABSOLUTELY agree with Fred on this.... something has got to be done about this Legacy Canopy issue and SOON!
At the very least, if Lancair is not going to address the issue directly with some kind of fail safe locking device, then they should,
at the VERY least, amend the Legacy Operating Handbook, where it says, in so many words: "If the canopy is left unlocked.... no problem.... just fly the airplane and everything
will be OK..." to something like: "If you leave the canopy unlocked on the Legacy and get off the ground....there is a VERY good chance you will DIE or if you're lucky, just severely injured..."
I have followed these numerous canopy incidents/accidents and can NOT think of ONE, where it hasn't killed someone or if they are really
lucky.... they come back with a harrowing tale of MAJOR controllability issues! Apparently this is not the case with the 235, 320, or 360... but with the Legacy...it ALWAYS is!!!
As Fred said, Lights, Bells, Whistles, and Warnings are fine....but we need some sort of Fail Safe Latch or these tragic, needless accidents
are going to keep happening.
Someone mentioned a "simple safety pin through the canopy frame and the roll over structure"....
while that may work as a secondary latch, it still requires you to "do something" before takeoff for it to work.
A fail safe latch, by design, should allow you to taxi with the canopy cracked for ventilation but if the canopy is inadvertently left
unlocked, to ultimately open NO more than a couple of inches.
Aren't others in the Legacy community concerned about this?
I know Fred is....I know I am!!
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