Narrative:

I covered my checklist with a piece of paper containing my clearance out of class C airspace. After run-up and taxi to the active runway I neglected to make sure the canopy was down and locked. About 2 seconds after takeoff the canopy opened and broke against the wing. A balked landing attempted was initiated followed by a go around. The following crosswind and downwind were without communication because the way my headset was blown off by airspeed/propeller wash. Chain of events: canopy unsecured due to inadequate preflight during run-up. Contributing factors included heat in the cockpit and the checklist being covered by a paper where the clearance was written. Discovered as canopy opened in-flight. Corrective action and go around initiated when available landing distance appeared inadequate. Other than the initial incomplete/inadequate preflight checklist, pilot response seems adequate. Observation: perhaps some indicator other than handle position could be installed to verify canopy being locked. Other than visual observation and bolt feeling, no observable elements indicate canopy security. Incident resulted in minor damage to aircraft (loss of canopy, damage to wing and rear stabilizer/rudder). No damage to pilot (other than a bruised ego and a real learning experience).

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RETURN LAND SCENARIO IS MANDATED BY THE LOSS OF PLT'S CANOPY FROM HIS EXTRA 300 ACROBATIC ACFT DURING TKOF FROM SBA ARPT.

Narrative: I COVERED MY CHKLIST WITH A PIECE OF PAPER CONTAINING MY CLRNC OUT OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. AFTER RUN-UP AND TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY I NEGLECTED TO MAKE SURE THE CANOPY WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. ABOUT 2 SECONDS AFTER TKOF THE CANOPY OPENED AND BROKE AGAINST THE WING. A BALKED LNDG ATTEMPTED WAS INITIATED FOLLOWED BY A GAR. THE FOLLOWING XWIND AND DOWNWIND WERE WITHOUT COM BECAUSE THE WAY MY HEADSET WAS BLOWN OFF BY AIRSPD/PROP WASH. CHAIN OF EVENTS: CANOPY UNSECURED DUE TO INADEQUATE PREFLT DURING RUN-UP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED HEAT IN THE COCKPIT AND THE CHKLIST BEING COVERED BY A PAPER WHERE THE CLRNC WAS WRITTEN. DISCOVERED AS CANOPY OPENED INFLT. CORRECTIVE ACTION AND GAR INITIATED WHEN AVAILABLE LNDG DISTANCE APPEARED INADEQUATE. OTHER THAN THE INITIAL INCOMPLETE/INADEQUATE PREFLT CHKLIST, PLT RESPONSE SEEMS ADEQUATE. OBSERVATION: PERHAPS SOME INDICATOR OTHER THAN HANDLE POS COULD BE INSTALLED TO VERIFY CANOPY BEING LOCKED. OTHER THAN VISUAL OBSERVATION AND BOLT FEELING, NO OBSERVABLE ELEMENTS INDICATE CANOPY SECURITY. INCIDENT RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO ACFT (LOSS OF CANOPY, DAMAGE TO WING AND REAR STABILIZER/RUDDER). NO DAMAGE TO PLT (OTHER THAN A BRUISED EGO AND A REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE).

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.