Video: Dutch Pilot Shares What Happens After Her Aircraft’s Canopy Flung Open Mid-Air

Dutch pilot Narine Melkumjan faced a scary situation when her aircraft’s canopy opened unexpectedly in mid-air. She shared a video on social media showing the moment she struggled to control her Extra 330LX aircraft.

The incident happened when Narine was on her second aerobatic training flight a couple of years ago. In the clip, she appears visibly distraught and struggles to keep her eyes open against the wind.

The canopy of a plane is a transparent enclosure that protects its cockpit. When it burst open, Narine was seen applying all her skills to land her two-seater aircraft safely.

Melkumjan admitted the incident could have been avoided with proper pre-flight checks. She acknowledged that the canopy locking pin was not properly secured before takeoff.

“I also made the mistake of going to the training camp right after recovering from COVID, without allowing my body enough time to fully regain strength. Additionally, flying without any eye protection made the flight even more challenging than it already was,” she wrote on social media site X, narrating her ordeal.

Narine said she faced “buffet and controllability challenges,” and the hardest part was maintaining power as her vision and breathing were affected. Amid the chaos, communication with her coach was nearly impossible due to the noise, but she clearly remembered his crucial advice: “Just keep flying.”

“It took me nearly 28 hours to fully recover my vision,” Narine revealed, explaining that she had difficulties breathing and impaired visibility after the ordeal.

Narine Melkumjan is known for her frequent posts of flying videos on social media.

She revealed that sharing the footage of her dramatic flight served as a “cautionary tale” for other pilots. She also regretted not sharing it sooner.

“If you are a pilot watching this, I hope that my story serves as a cautionary tale and that you will learn from my mistakes,” she wrote.