The solo student pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, the pilot’s side window blew open as full power was applied.
He added that he “reached over with [his] right hand to close [the] window,” but as he did so, the Cessna 150 veered off the runway at the airport in Newburyport, Massachusetts, into a wooded area and hit terrain.
The student pilot reported that he had noticed on previous flights that the window latch was loose and that he had planned to get it fixed, but had not done so.
Both wings sustained substantial damage.
The student pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The student pilot’s decision to attempt to close the cockpit window during takeoff and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA326
This June 2017 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Had a door blow open on Cherokee 180, on takeoff. Makes a hell of a noise, but just stayed in the pattern, landed fixed the latch and took off Again. Aviate, navigate, communicate.
It’s easy to criticize. I’ve forgotten to close a window on a 172 prior to takeoff. No big deal. Fly the aircraft and close it when you can.
It seems that so many aircraft get wrecked and people injured/killed by doors and windows coming open while in flight. Why can’t pilots just leave it alone (like some ops manuals say) until they are on the ground and can do it safely and properly. Here was a perfectly good C150 that will probably end up in a scrap yard because of the extent of damage and cost to repair. Good basic training aircraft like that are not being built any more so we really need to keep what there are in the active fleet. Yes they make LSA’s that are similar but just look at the price difference and how about longevity? Will any of those LSA’s still be flyable when they are as old as that C150 was? I recall the C150 switching over to C152 in the 70’s so that aircraft had to be at least 40 years old but gets lost because of a loose window latch.
Student pilot meant to get it fixed? Where is the owner, school? First lesson any student should be taught is FLY THE PLANE. Big double fail on this one.
It might well have been owned by that student pilot and if so then it was his responsibility to fix a loose window latch. Even if it was a flight school owned aircraft they would probably need a squawk from a renter before it would be noticed and fixed.