A Dutch pilot shared a video Saturday of her small plane’s canopy suddenly bursting open, shattering mid-flight.
Narine Melkumjan shared the footage Saturday on X, saying the incident took place a few years ago during an aerobic training flight on a hot summer day.
“The canopy of the Extra 330LX that I was flying opened in flight and shattered,” she wrote in the post. “As you can see from the video, it was a challenging experience that could have been avoided if I had made a proper visual check before taking off.”
Melkumjan explained that the protective barrier’s lock pin did not properly lock, and she “failed to notice” while inspecting the aircraft prior to take off.
“The flight was a distressing experience, filled with noise, breathing difficulties, and impaired visibility,” she wrote. “It took me nearly 28 hours to fully recover my vision.”
In the over…
