This is the terrifying moment a pilot’s canopy flew open and shattered mid-air during a training flight – leaving her battling to land the aircraft safely on the ground.
Narine Melkumjan, a Dutch pilot, shared the ‘distressing’ footage on social media over the weekend of the moment she became embroiled in the airborne chaos while flying her Extra 330LX plane.
The shocking ordeal, which took place several years ago on Nadine’s second ever aerobatic training flight, appeared to be running smoothly as she cruised over a patchwork of green fields.
But nothing could prepare her for what was about to come.
Just moments later, the skilled pilot was seen struggling to maintain a grip on the controls after the protective barrier was ripped off the aircraft and shattered before her eyes.
Narine Melkumjan, a Dutch pilot, set off for her seemingly peaceful aerobatic training flight in her Extra 330LX plane
Suddenly, the aircraft’s canopy flew open and shattered mid-air
Nadine struggled to maintain her grip on the controls but calmed herself down as she battled the harsh winds
Nadine, who was not wearing any head or eyewear during the chaotic flight, appeared visibly distressed as the harsh winds hit her face – causing her to struggle to keep her eyes open.
She later said that it took her eyesight 28 hours to return to normal as a result of the strong wind she experienced.
As she continued the flight, she could be seen battling the elements as she pushed through the wind to grab the correct controls and impressively remained calm in her preparations to land the aircraft.
The brave pilot soared over the fields as the plane shook and toppled to one side but Nadine remained focussed on reaching safety.
After several minutes of regaining control of the aircraft, she begins her descent onto a track and miraculously lands on the runway without a scratch.
She speeds to a halt along the surface and can be seen panting with relief as the aircraft hits the ground.
But although the ordeal unfolded several years ago, Nadine only recently shared the clip alongside a warning message to other pilots.
‘The flight was a distressing experience, filled with noise, breathing difficulties, and impaired visibility,’ she wrote.
The brave pilot remained in the air with the broken canopy for several minutes while she made preparations to land the plane
Nadine struggled to keep her eyes open during the chaotic flight as the wind beat against her face as she soared through the air
She miraculously made it down to the runway and shared a post to social media with a warning message to other pilots following her ‘distressing’ experience
Nadine admitted the ‘challenging experience’ could have been avoided if she had made the necessary pre-flight checks
‘Aerodynamically, I’ve experienced some buffet and controllability challenges. Probably the most difficult part was to keep the power in, thus trading my vision and breathing for kinetic energy,’ she continued.
‘Although due to all the noise it was difficult to hear what my coach was saying on the radio, one thing I’ve heard loud and clear was ‘just keep flying’.’
Nadine admitted the ‘challenging experience’ could have been avoided if she had made the necessary pre-flight checks.
‘The canopy locking pin had never gone into the locked position and I failed to notice it during my checks,’ she said.
‘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.’
Melkumjan, whose social media feeds are filled with videos of her flying, noted she was sharing the footage as a ‘cautionary tale’ for fellow pilots.
‘I regret that it took me so long to share this video footage. It’s not easy to put my vulnerabilities out there for the world to see,’ she said.
‘However, I have come to realise how important it is to be transparent about our shortcomings and the lessons we learn along the way.
‘To all my fellow pilots out there, fly safe’.
