This is the terrifying moment a pilot’s cockpit opened and shattered in mid-air during a training flight, leaving her struggling to land the plane safely on the ground.
Narine Melkumjan, a Dutch pilot, shared the “distressing” images on social media over the weekend of the moment she was caught up in the aerial chaos while flying her Extra 330LX plane.
The shocking experience, which took place several years ago on Nadine’s second aerobatic training flight, seemed to go smoothly as she sailed over a patchwork of green fields.
But nothing could prepare her for what was to come.
Moments later, the skilled pilot was seen struggling to maintain control of the controls after the protective barrier was torn from the plane and shattered before her eyes.
Narine Melkumjan, a Dutch pilot, undertook her seemingly calm aerobatic training flight in her Extra 330LX aircraft.
Suddenly, the canopy of the plane opened and shattered in the air.
Nadine struggled to maintain control of the controls, but calmed down as she battled the strong winds.
Nadine, who was headless and glasses-less during the chaotic flight, looked visibly distressed as strong winds hit her face, leaving her struggling to keep her eyes open.
He later said that it took 28 hours for his eyesight to return to normal as a result of the strong wind he experienced.
As the flight continued, she could be seen battling the elements as she pushed against the wind to take the correct controls and, impressively, remained calm in her preparations to land the plane.
The brave pilot soared over the fields as the plane shook and fell to one side, but Nadine remained focused on getting to safety.
After several minutes of regaining control of the aircraft, it begins its descent toward a runway and miraculously lands on the runway without a scratch.
She accelerates to a stop along the surface and can be seen gasping with relief as the plane hits the ground.
But although the ordeal unfolded several years ago, Nadine recently shared the clip along with a warning message to other pilots.
“The flight was a harrowing experience, full of noise, breathing difficulties and reduced visibility,” he wrote.
The brave pilot remained in the air with the canopy broken 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 hit her face as she soared through the air.
Miraculously, he arrived at the track and shared a post on social media with a warning message to other drivers after his ‘distressing’ experience.
Nadine admitted the “challenging experience” could have been avoided if she had carried out the necessary pre-flight checks.
‘Aerodynamically, I have experienced some control challenges and shakes. “Probably the hardest part was maintaining the energy, thus changing my vision and breathing for kinetic energy,” he continued.
“Although because of all the noise it was difficult to hear what my coach was saying on the radio, one thing I heard loud and clear was ‘keep flying.'”
Nadine admitted the “challenging experience” could have been avoided if she had carried out the necessary pre-flight checks.
“The canopy locking pin had never entered the locking position and I didn’t notice it during my checks,” he said.
‘I also made the mistake of going into training camp right after recovering from COVID, without giving my body enough time to fully regain strength.
“In addition, flying without eye protection made the flight even more challenging than it already was.”
Melkumjan, whose social media is filled with videos of herself flying, said she was sharing the footage as a “warning” to her fellow pilots.
‘I’m sorry it took me so long to share this video. “It’s not easy to expose my vulnerabilities for the world to see,” she stated.
‘However, I have realized how important it is to be transparent about our shortcomings and the lessons we learn along the way.
“To all my fellow pilots, fly safely.”
