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GAA18CA544

2018-09-09 · Denver, Colorado, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BJC

Current FAA registration · N514RH

Make / Model
HALLADAY ROY LOCKHD T-33/HALLADAY
Year of manufacture
2000 · 18 years old at event
Engine
ALLISON J33-A SERIES (635 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20080403
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A671CA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to verify that the emergency canopy release was in the correct position when opening the canopy during landing, which resulted in the canopy separating from the airplane and subsequently impacting the empennage.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, it was standard procedure upon landing to open the canopy slightly to aid in slowing the airplane and egress in a runway excursion event. Upon landing, the pilot activated the canopy motor to open the canopy about 2 inches, but the canopy continued to open, separated from the airframe and struck the tail. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that emergency canopy release, which anchors the canopy to the airframe when the canopy motor was turned on, was inadvertently released during the flight. The pilot reported that, upon landing, he activated the canopy motor to open the canopy about 2 inches, but the canopy continued to open, separated from the airframe, and struck the empennage. He added that it was standard procedure upon landing to open the canopy slightly to aid in slowing the airplane and egress in a runway excursion event. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that the emergency canopy release, which anchors the canopy to the airframe when the canopy motor was turned on, was inadvertently released during the flight. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Doors-Passenger/crew doors-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action selection-Pilot - C
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Doors-Passenger/crew doors-Design

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA18CA544.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers