[grobdriver]

Hey!
There's nothing wrong with an amatuer-built aircraft!
And most aircraft will fly fine without a canopy... I fear this may wind up as pilot error - getting distracted at the worst possible time - vertical and fairly low and out of airspeed

OTOH, considering this lady's skill, the departing canopy could have damaged the empenage and made recovery impossible.
Only the FAA final will tell the tale, and perhaps not even then.

- Mike (200 hour RV-6)

[grobdriver]

It is believed she was rendered unconscious when the canopy flew off, according to the IAC Web site.

And then there's this which I missed on the first read...