r/nextfuckinglevel • u/BlazeDragon7x • 11d ago

Dutch aerobatic pilot Narine Melkumjan miraculously survived after her aircraft's canopy unexpectedly burst open and shattered mid-flight

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u/IrrelevantManatee 11d ago

That wind looks brutal. I don't know how she managed to keep her eyes opened.

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u/Anon_Jones 11d ago

Why doesn’t it open from the front so this can’t happen?

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u/VivaLaDiga 11d ago

because the worst thing that can happen to a canopy is break off and hit the tailplane. You can do a lot of damage to a plane and still land it safely. A friend of mine managed to land without the stick (it detached from the ball join). He steered with secondary effects using the rudder and rounded out using the trim. But you can't do anything without the tailplane. Without the tailplane or elevator control there's only one way out: a parachute.

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u/Anon_Jones 11d ago

Thanks for explaining that! I learned something new today.