Amateur-built CH601 accident near Punta Gorda, Florida, August 29, 2020
On August 29, 2020 at about 4:20 pm local time, a 2020 amateur-built CH601, registered N354DM, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Punta Gorda, Florida (Punta Gorda airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent opening of the airplane’s canopy on takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2020 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Punta Gorda, Florida · Punta Gorda · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH601 XL, built 2020
- Registration
- N354DM · registry record · serial 6092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was also the owner/builder of the experimental airplane. He reported that the accident flight was the second flight since he completed assembly of the airplane. During takeoff, about 20 ft above ground level, the cockpit canopy “flew” forward to the full up position. The airplane immediately entered a nose-down attitude and touched back down on the runway with the propeller striking the runway. The airplane then bounced, touched down again, and skidded off the left side of the runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest upright in a grass area off the left side of the runway. The forward portion of the airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot further stated that the canopy latch for the airplane make and model was known to unlatch in flight, so he installed a secondary latch system when he assembled the airplane. The secondary latch system consisted of a latch and catch mechanism that could only be secured from inside the cockpit. He added that the latches had to align perfectly to work. The pilot further noted that the airframe kit manufacturer offered a modification to the canopy latching system, but the pilot had not installed it.
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
- Ground handling event during prior to flight
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 262 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 174 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 7, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 1, 2020; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honda Viking 130 (piston); 5 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGD Punta Gorda FL at 4:20 pm
- Destination: PGD Punta Gorda FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 7,193 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:17 pm from PGD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 2021. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Interview Summaries | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.