Amateur-built LANCAIR LEGACY accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, January 15, 2018
On January 15, 2018, a 2005 amateur-built LANCAIR LEGACY, registered N145JG, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Friday Harbor, Washington (Friday Harbor airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inability to maintain the landing flare, which resulted in the airplane landing hard short of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the cockpit canopy opening in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 2018
- Place
- Friday Harbor, Washington · Friday Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR LEGACY NO SERIES, built 2005
- Registration
- N145JG · registry record · serial L2K-230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, before a local flight, he placed the airplane's wing and canopy covers and his small dog in the baggage compartment. During the initial climb, after retracting the landing gear, the cockpit canopy, which tips forward for entry into the cockpit, came unlatched and opened to about a 45° angle. He attempted to close and relatch the canopy to no avail and decided to return to the departure airport. Subsequently, after extending the landing gear on final, the airplane lost speed, and the descent rate increased. He applied full power, but the airplane landed hard and short of the runway, and the landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported that the airplane had an after-market, drop-down step kit that had been removed; however, during the kit removal, the step mechanism had been removed, but the brackets that extended into the baggage compartment had been overlooked. The brackets were attached to the canopy latching mechanism, and he believed his dog accidently hit the protruding brackets and inadvertently opened the canopy in flight. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the center wing spar. The pilot reported that, before the canopy opened, there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Landing area undershoot during landing
- Hard landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Unintentional use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,250 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 23, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 426 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES (piston); 491 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FHR Friday Harbor WA
- Destination: FHR Friday Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,402 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KFHR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.