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ERA25LA102

2025-01-20 · Orlando, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ORL

Current FAA registration · N976DR

Make / Model
BERKUT ENGINEERING INC BERKUT 540
Year of manufacture
2019 · 6 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO 540 SER (260 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20190429
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AD9A4A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to verify the canopy latches were in the locked position prior to takeoff.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff the canopy departed from the airplane. The pilot assessed that the propeller of the pusher-configured engine had been damaged based on the deceleration of the airplane and subsequently landed on the opposite direction runway without further incident. The airplane’s canopy was substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and that the accident could have been prevented by, “…verifying both canopy handles were in the locked position before takeoff.” Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Windows-windshield system-(general)-Not used/operated

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_ERA25LA102.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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