A VARGA2150 on takeoff climb at 3 ft the canopy opened to full open position. On throttling back one...

Narrative:

After preflight inspection I climbed into the cockpit and closed the canopy to its 1ST open location (approximately 1 inch open). I started the engine and taxied to the run-up area before runway 17. After normal run-up, I closed the canopy with the handle. The handle looked to be in its closed and locked position. After announcing my departure intentions for runway 17 on the radio, I taxied onto the runway. Takeoff progressed normally until just after rotation. When the plane was about 3 ft into the air, the canopy opened to its full open position at which point I throttled back the engine and began to land. As I was throttling back, one side of the canopy broke loose from its track and along with the top rotated to the right on its piano hinge. The canopy slammed into the right side of the plane as the plane touched down. Once down I proceeded with the landing run-out and announced the aborted takeoff. I then turned onto the taxiway and announced that I was ok and was clear of the runway. I taxied back to the run-up area and checked the damage. One of the canopy's 2 piano hinges was badly damaged. Deciding not to chance further damage, I taxied back to the transient parking area, tied down the plane, and called the plane's owner. I believe that the problem was that the cockpit canopy was not fully locked even though the handle looked to be in the locked position. The canopy handle is located behind the pilot's left shoulder making it very difficult to open and close. The handle's position relevant to locked and open is not marked. The only way to determine that the handle is closed and locked is to look over one's shoulder and see if it is in the horizontal position. Before departure, the handle did look like it was in the horizontal position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the canopy latch is a 'mickey mouse' piece of equipment located over and behind the left shoulder. The reporter said the canopy latch has no indicator when latched and has no makings that indicate locked and open. The reporter stated the only damage incurred was the left canopy slide piano hinge.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VARGA2150 ON TKOF CLB AT 3 FT THE CANOPY OPENED TO FULL OPEN POS. ON THROTTLING BACK ONE SIDE OF THE CANOPY BROKE LOOSE AND STRUCK THE R SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE.

Narrative: AFTER PREFLT INSPECTION I CLBED INTO THE COCKPIT AND CLOSED THE CANOPY TO ITS 1ST OPEN LOCATION (APPROX 1 INCH OPEN). I STARTED THE ENG AND TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP AREA BEFORE RWY 17. AFTER NORMAL RUN-UP, I CLOSED THE CANOPY WITH THE HANDLE. THE HANDLE LOOKED TO BE IN ITS CLOSED AND LOCKED POS. AFTER ANNOUNCING MY DEP INTENTIONS FOR RWY 17 ON THE RADIO, I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. TKOF PROGRESSED NORMALLY UNTIL JUST AFTER ROTATION. WHEN THE PLANE WAS ABOUT 3 FT INTO THE AIR, THE CANOPY OPENED TO ITS FULL OPEN POS AT WHICH POINT I THROTTLED BACK THE ENG AND BEGAN TO LAND. AS I WAS THROTTLING BACK, ONE SIDE OF THE CANOPY BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS TRACK AND ALONG WITH THE TOP ROTATED TO THE R ON ITS PIANO HINGE. THE CANOPY SLAMMED INTO THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE AS THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN. ONCE DOWN I PROCEEDED WITH THE LNDG RUN-OUT AND ANNOUNCED THE ABORTED TKOF. I THEN TURNED ONTO THE TXWY AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS OK AND WAS CLR OF THE RWY. I TAXIED BACK TO THE RUN-UP AREA AND CHKED THE DAMAGE. ONE OF THE CANOPY'S 2 PIANO HINGES WAS BADLY DAMAGED. DECIDING NOT TO CHANCE FURTHER DAMAGE, I TAXIED BACK TO THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA, TIED DOWN THE PLANE, AND CALLED THE PLANE'S OWNER. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROB WAS THAT THE COCKPIT CANOPY WAS NOT FULLY LOCKED EVEN THOUGH THE HANDLE LOOKED TO BE IN THE LOCKED POS. THE CANOPY HANDLE IS LOCATED BEHIND THE PLT'S L SHOULDER MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND CLOSE. THE HANDLE'S POS RELEVANT TO LOCKED AND OPEN IS NOT MARKED. THE ONLY WAY TO DETERMINE THAT THE HANDLE IS CLOSED AND LOCKED IS TO LOOK OVER ONE'S SHOULDER AND SEE IF IT IS IN THE HORIZ POS. BEFORE DEP, THE HANDLE DID LOOK LIKE IT WAS IN THE HORIZ POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CANOPY LATCH IS A 'MICKEY MOUSE' PIECE OF EQUIP LOCATED OVER AND BEHIND THE L SHOULDER. THE RPTR SAID THE CANOPY LATCH HAS NO INDICATOR WHEN LATCHED AND HAS NO MAKINGS THAT INDICATE LOCKED AND OPEN. THE RPTR STATED THE ONLY DAMAGE INCURRED WAS THE L CANOPY SLIDE PIANO HINGE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	633507
Time
Date	200410
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvo.airport
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 219 flight time type : 214
ASRS Report	633507
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

A VARGA2150 on takeoff climb at 3 ft the canopy opened to full open position. On throttling back one side of the canopy broke loose and struck the right side of the fuselage.