Gross COZY N144TJ

Summary

On 9 May 2010 at about 20:45 local time, a Gross COZY registered N144TJ was involved in an accident near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. 6 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 May 2010 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Girder Field Airport (PBF)

Coordinates

34.2078, -91.9736

Aircraft

Gross COZY

Registration

N144TJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monroe → Rochester

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10LA245

1 person had minor injuries.

The inadvertent opening of the cockpit canopy during cruise flight for undetermined reasons, which allowed debris to impact and damage the pusher propeller with a resulting total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was in cruise flight when the right-side hinged cockpit canopy suddenly opened to about a 90-degree up position. The pilot’s headset and several other loose items in the cockpit exited the airplane. The pilot subsequently experienced a “large vibration” in the engine. With the engine producing partial power, the pilot elected to perform an emergency descent. About 4 miles from the airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power, and the pilot executed a forced landing on a busy five-lane road. After missing several vehicles, the airplane struck and damaged the rear of a car and came to rest in a ditch on the side of the road. A postaccident examination of the canopy’s primary and secondary latch system revealed that the secondary latch system exhibited an overstress fracture of the spring steel hook and had separated. The overstress fracture likely occurred during due to the canopy opening; the reason for the inadvertent opening of the canopy could not be determined. The damage to the rear mounted pusher propeller was consistent with debris from the cabin striking the propeller when the canopy opened in flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.