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An experimental aircraft pilot's window came off in flight causing distraction and vibration. Pilot returned to land and damaged the aircraft after collapsing the nosewheel.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 764428 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200712 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ssi.airport |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Experimental |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 764428 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I had just taken off for a VFR flight to the southeast when the pilot side window popped open and the aircraft started shaking violently. I cut the power to slow and attempted to land on the remaining runway. The window departed the aircraft just before I was able to land. I struck the ground nose first bending the propeller and collapsing the nose gear. The aircraft came to a halt a few hundred ft down the runway. I was the only person in the aircraft and was not injured. Having the aircraft shake as I attempted to land on the remaining runway was very unnerving and significantly took away from concentrating on landing the aircraft correctly. I probably touched down at an airspeed of about 90 KTS. I should have concentrated more on controling the aircraft instead of worrying about the window banging against the door.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT PILOT'S WINDOW CAME OFF IN FLT CAUSING DISTRACTION AND VIBRATION. PILOT RETURNED TO LAND AND DAMAGED THE ACFT AFTER COLLAPSING THE NOSEWHEEL.
Narrative: I HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FOR A VFR FLT TO THE SE WHEN THE PLT SIDE WINDOW POPPED OPEN AND THE ACFT STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I CUT THE PWR TO SLOW AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RWY. THE WINDOW DEPARTED THE ACFT JUST BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO LAND. I STRUCK THE GND NOSE FIRST BENDING THE PROP AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. THE ACFT CAME TO A HALT A FEW HUNDRED FT DOWN THE RWY. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE ACFT AND WAS NOT INJURED. HAVING THE ACFT SHAKE AS I ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RWY WAS VERY UNNERVING AND SIGNIFICANTLY TOOK AWAY FROM CONCENTRATING ON LNDG THE ACFT CORRECTLY. I PROBABLY TOUCHED DOWN AT AN AIRSPD OF ABOUT 90 KTS. I SHOULD HAVE CONCENTRATED MORE ON CTLING THE ACFT INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT THE WINDOW BANGING AGAINST THE DOOR.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.