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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:23:40 -0500
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From: alain Noireaux <alainoireaux@free.fr>
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Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Legacy damaged
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My L 320 has a forward hinge canopy. On a hot day,I was at holding 
point,waiting to take-off after a plane on final ,the canopy was open of 
about 15 cm to have some air in the cockpit. As another plane entered on 
base leg,I rush to take-off ,after the plane on final landed, and forget 
to close and lock the canopy .Once in flight I realised it was noisy and 
the canopy was not locked .Increasing the speed made the canopy get 
down,but not enough to lock it,decreasing the speed made the canopy to 
lift-up . I wondered what could happen at landing if the canopy caused 
turbulences affecting the empennage . I succeded to hold the canopy 
almost closed,using the right seat safety belt passed in the handle at 
the rear of the canopy and tightening it and landed with no more 
problem  but at a speed a bit higher than normaly .
After that I put a microswitch on the canopy latching mecanism and a RED 
led in the middle of the instrument panel,in front of me,wich is 
unlighted only when the latch handle is locked . It can be useful 
,too,to forget the battery ON,when leaving the airplane .
I invite all Lancair flyers to do the same . It just cost few bucks and 
can save your life .
Have nice flights,gentlemen .

Alain Noireaux  LNC 2  F-PSDV
Matt Reeves a Ã©crit :
> This is the second incident that I know of with the Legacy canopy open 
> in flight where the plane was pretty much uncontrollable in such a 
> condition.   Unfortunately, the one at Sun N Fun did not turn out as 
> good as this one.  Sadly, I saw that plane the day before and it was a 
> beauty.
>
> Maybe it would be good to invent a secondary latching system in case 
> of emergency or failure of the first system, or maybe even one that 
> doesn't latch except when the first system fails - just some ideas.
>
> Is anyone aware of similar incidents in the 320/360?   I have the 
> forward hinge canopy with rear locking system but do still have the 
> manual latches that I am now considering installing at least on the 
> sides of the canopy towards the back - or maybe all 4, not sure.
>
> I guess the biggest concern would be AFTER a crash where you had to 
> get out in a hurry AND the concern that the canopy would not be able 
> to open from the outside, unless a firefighter had an ax.
>
> Congrats on a walking away from this one!
>
> Matt
>
> --- On *Thu, 2/5/09, Bill Hannahan /<wfhannahan@yahoo.com>/* wrote:
>
>     From: Bill Hannahan <wfhannahan@yahoo.com>
>     Subject: [LML] Legacy damaged
>     To: lml@lancaironline.net
>     Date: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 11:43 AM
>
>     A Legacy/ (N939CB)// /was damaged last Friday at Longmont Co
>     airport, LMO, around 6 PM , almost dark. The pilot David Williams
>     of Wonderview, escaped without injury.
>
>      
>
>     http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?ID=14174
>
>      
>
>     Taking off on 29 the canopy opened. Apparently the plane made a
>     pattern to land on 29. It hit the top edge of an embankment about
>     150 yd SE of the numbers, 29. The impact tore off the gear. It
>     skimmed across the embankment, through a twisted wire fence, then
>     dropped about 4 ft onto flat ground and skidded to a stop about
>     100 yd from the initial impact point.
>
>      
>
>     Four metal fence posts cut into the wing to the spar and it tore
>     300â€™ of wire off the fence. The ground track was parallel to but
>     about 100 feet south of the runway centerline.
>
>      
>
>     Two feet lower and it would have been a very sudden stop against
>     the embankment.
>
>
>     Bill Hannahan
>
>     wfhannahan@yahoo.com <mailto:wfhannahan@yahoo.com>
>
>
>