Amateur-built ZODIAC CH601 HDS accident near Clinton, Arkansas, November 17, 2011
On November 17, 2011 at about 10:45 pm local time, a amateur-built ZODIAC CH601 HDS, registered N274, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Clinton, Arkansas (Clinton Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadvertent opening of the canopy during takeoff due to the improperly repaired forward canopy latch mechanism, which did not fully secure the canopy.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 2011 · about 10:45 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Clinton, Arkansas · Clinton Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZODIAC CH601 HDS
- Registration
- N274 · no longer on the register · serial 63324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, prior to departure, the airplane's canopy was secured in the normal manner. He said that the takeoff was uneventful, but, about 300 feet above ground level, the airplane's canopy began to vibrate. The front right corner of the canopy rose up about 4 inches before the entire canopy lifted in the front and then shattered. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, but the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. A postaccident examination of the wreckage found scratches on the forward canopy latch's engagement point consistent with a misalignment of the canopy latch. The examination also revealed that the canopy latches had previously been improperly repaired. As a result, the latch could not fully secure the forward portion of the canopy.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Cabin safety event during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the airframe structure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › (general) › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the airframe structure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,251 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,940 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 21, 2010
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 362 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2011; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCA Clinton AR at 8:45 pm
- Destination: CCA Clinton AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,012 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from CCA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 2, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo: Foward Canopy Latch Engagement Point (Provided by FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo: Photo of Canopy Latches (Provided by FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Miscellaneous: Kcca Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Statement: Record of Conversation Johnson | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N274: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engine: Rotax 912 UL 134 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Clinton Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Arkansas 1,582 since 1982 · 177 in the last ten years
- Arkansas 3,491 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA071.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.