Aerobatic type bi-plane aircraft lost canopy in cruise flight. Landed nearest airport.

Attributes
ACN	150689
Time
Date	199007
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fxe
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fxe
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 24000
ASRS Report	150689
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Canopy departed aircraft over e-w portion of saw grass expressway, may have been a malfunction in locking device causing canopy to release. Numerous cases known throughout USA and canada. No damage to aircraft in this case. Ground damage or contact unknown. Declared an emergency with fxe tower. Landed west/O incident. Due to the numerous canopy losses, an airworthiness directive should be demanded to prevent injury to persons or property on ground and possibly on aircraft. Other aerobatic biplanes have had damage to vertical stabilizer, rudder, and elevators.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AEROBATIC TYPE BI-PLANE ACFT LOST CANOPY IN CRUISE FLT. LANDED NEAREST ARPT.

Narrative: CANOPY DEPARTED ACFT OVER E-W PORTION OF SAW GRASS EXPRESSWAY, MAY HAVE BEEN A MALFUNCTION IN LOCKING DEVICE CAUSING CANOPY TO RELEASE. NUMEROUS CASES KNOWN THROUGHOUT USA AND CANADA. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT IN THIS CASE. GND DAMAGE OR CONTACT UNKNOWN. DECLARED AN EMER WITH FXE TWR. LANDED W/O INCIDENT. DUE TO THE NUMEROUS CANOPY LOSSES, AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SHOULD BE DEMANDED TO PREVENT INJURY TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON GND AND POSSIBLY ON ACFT. OTHER AEROBATIC BIPLANES HAVE HAD DAMAGE TO VERT STABILIZER, RUDDER, AND ELEVATORS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.