RV6A -ASN Report - N715PA *

[A2022]

well, I hate to see this kind of thing. the water is not very deep. runway 14 may have been an option, or not. if the water is shallow, should one jettison the canopy prior to impact? I don't know.

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/389790

The aircraft, an Experimental Leon P Archambault RV-6A, Registration (*unconfirmed) N715PA, sustained undetermined damage subsequent to impact with the waters of the Merrimack River during an apparent ditching while in a right traffic pattern to Runway 23 at Lawrence Municipal Airport (LWM/KLWM), Lawrence, Massachusetts. Condition of the sole pilot onboard the single-engine Amateur Built airplane has not been confirmed.

[A2022]

someone said.... stay calm and watch the bubbles and see which way they go to get out... that is BS because you are trapped inside, and water is filling the space. the only hope you have is to break the canopy and get out. it's going to be close, whether you have enough breath to be able to do it. never give up. hands pressing against the canopy are not going to work. have the canopy breaker in your hand prior to impact.

in this sample case 1, I don't believe he had enough breath to do it.