Czech Sportplanes Sro DYNAMIC accident near Palm Springs, California, January 9, 2011
On January 9, 2011 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Czech Sportplanes Sro DYNAMIC, registered N595DY, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Palm Springs, California (Palm Springs International 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
Inadvertent opening of the airplane canopy during the landing approach in a downdraft, which resulted in a rapid descent and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 2011 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Springs, California · Palm Springs International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Czech Sportplanes Sro DYNAMIC WT9
- Registration
- N595DY · registry record · serial DY 329/2009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the light sport airplane at the termination of a 2 1/2-hour-long flight. During final approach, the airplane encountered a strong downdraft and the canopy extended to the full up position. The pilot was unable to reach the canopy handle to close it, and the airplane landed hard, likely due to the drag created by the open canopy. The left horizontal stabilizer and left aileron were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination revealed that the canopy latch did not always fully engage in the cabin frame during the closing operation; the latching pin would sometimes extend about 5 millimeters short of the 15 millimeters of full travel. Thus, it is likely that the pilot's encounter with a strong downdraft could have caused the canopy to flex and open if the latch was not fully engaged. In 2008, the airplane's manufacturer issued a Mandatory Service Bulletin requiring a revision to the flight manual. The revision stated that, if the canopy locking pin is not securely latched during the pre-flight inspection, the canopy could open in flight. The revision included operational updates specifying procedures for securing an inadvertent canopy opening during various phases of flight. The procedures stated that provided the airplane is flown in a straight and level attitude, the canopy will only partially extend, and could be retracted and locked by hand. The procedures warned that, during uncoordinated flight, the canopy will extend to the full open position, acting as an airbrake and resulting in an excessive descent.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on equipment
Dual student
- Certificate: sport pilot, student
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 76 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 9, 2010; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,212 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVQ Marana AZ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: Palm Springs CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31L, 10,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PSP
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.