| Crash location | 31.881111°N, 106.704722°W |
| Nearest city | Santa Teresa, NM
31.855938°N, 106.639158°W 4.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N77JM |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 20 Apr 2009 |
| Aircraft type | Marlin Varieze |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot said that he became distracted while talking to another airplane on the radio. He did not complete the takeoff checklist and forgot to latch the canopy prior to takeoff. The pilot took off and after climbing about 10 to 30 feet, the canopy popped open. The safety catch stopped the canopy from opening completely. With his left hand, the pilot attempted to close and lock the canopy. Being unsuccessful, he removed his right hand from control stick and grabbed the canopy latch. Control was lost and the airplane impacted the runway, struck a landing light, and skidded off the runway. The landing gear was sheared off, and a canard and a wing were crushed.
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, his failure to latch the canopy prior to takeoff, and his failure to complete the pretakeoff checklist due to his diverted attention.