Narrative:

While taxiing for takeoff, just prior to the 'before takeoff checklist' the flight attendant came to cockpit and said that a passenger told her a fastener on the left engine cowling was loose. From the cockpit the captain stated that both large metal cowling fasteners were secure, however, 1 small 'zeus' fastener ahead of the engine cowling itself, appeared loose or worn. Since there was only 1 loose, and this would in no way adversely affect the safety of the flight we elected to continue taxiing out for takeoff. We performed a maximum power takeoff (1 required in 6 days) and after takeoff and gear retraction, captain looked back at the cowl in front of engine cowling and noticed another 'zeus' fastener pop up. At this point, although all cowlings were still secure and in no danger of coming loose we elected to return to memphis just as an added measure of safety to get the fasteners resecured and the cowling doublechked. Following an uneventful and safe landing at memphis international, the mechanic on our ramp looked at the cowlings in question and tightened a total of 4 'zeus' fasteners and the aircraft was returned to service. The engine cowling was never loose or in danger of coming loose. In 8 mins the fasteners were secured, paperwork signed off, new releases obtained and new load manifest completed, and we taxied and again, took off and had an uneventful, safe flight to our destination of louisville, ky. During the preflight inspection of the aircraft before takeoff, I noticed absolutely no loose fasteners or cowls anywhere on the aircraft. The engine start up and maximum power takeoff could have vibrated 1 loose. Found out a few days later the passenger called the FAA 'hotline' and reported that we took off with the left engine cowling unsecured which is totally false! I feel like the passenger overreacted in this situation, especially when calling the 'hotline' and saying the whole cowling was loose when only 1 fastener appeared loose at first. As a crewmember, I feel we did everything right. I did a proper preflight and found nothing wrong with the aircraft. Our company agreed with our decision to takeoff with only a loose fastener. We violated no company rules or FARS to our knowledge by taking off with this fastener loose. In retrospect, I am not sure how to solve problems like these with passenger except just to be as careful and cautious as possible when in charge of passenger lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RETURN LAND SITUATION DEVELOPS AFTER FLC OBSERVES A ZEUS FASTENER LOOSE ON ENG COWLING, OTHER THAN 1 THAT A PAX HAD PREVIOUSLY RPTED.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF, JUST PRIOR TO THE 'BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST' THE FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO COCKPIT AND SAID THAT A PAX TOLD HER A FASTENER ON THE L ENG COWLING WAS LOOSE. FROM THE COCKPIT THE CAPT STATED THAT BOTH LARGE METAL COWLING FASTENERS WERE SECURE, HOWEVER, 1 SMALL 'ZEUS' FASTENER AHEAD OF THE ENG COWLING ITSELF, APPEARED LOOSE OR WORN. SINCE THERE WAS ONLY 1 LOOSE, AND THIS WOULD IN NO WAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF. WE PERFORMED A MAX PWR TKOF (1 REQUIRED IN 6 DAYS) AND AFTER TKOF AND GEAR RETRACTION, CAPT LOOKED BACK AT THE COWL IN FRONT OF ENG COWLING AND NOTICED ANOTHER 'ZEUS' FASTENER POP UP. AT THIS POINT, ALTHOUGH ALL COWLINGS WERE STILL SECURE AND IN NO DANGER OF COMING LOOSE WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO MEMPHIS JUST AS AN ADDED MEASURE OF SAFETY TO GET THE FASTENERS RESECURED AND THE COWLING DOUBLECHKED. FOLLOWING AN UNEVENTFUL AND SAFE LNDG AT MEMPHIS INTL, THE MECH ON OUR RAMP LOOKED AT THE COWLINGS IN QUESTION AND TIGHTENED A TOTAL OF 4 'ZEUS' FASTENERS AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. THE ENG COWLING WAS NEVER LOOSE OR IN DANGER OF COMING LOOSE. IN 8 MINS THE FASTENERS WERE SECURED, PAPERWORK SIGNED OFF, NEW RELEASES OBTAINED AND NEW LOAD MANIFEST COMPLETED, AND WE TAXIED AND AGAIN, TOOK OFF AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL, SAFE FLT TO OUR DEST OF LOUISVILLE, KY. DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT BEFORE TKOF, I NOTICED ABSOLUTELY NO LOOSE FASTENERS OR COWLS ANYWHERE ON THE ACFT. THE ENG START UP AND MAX PWR TKOF COULD HAVE VIBRATED 1 LOOSE. FOUND OUT A FEW DAYS LATER THE PAX CALLED THE FAA 'HOTLINE' AND RPTED THAT WE TOOK OFF WITH THE L ENG COWLING UNSECURED WHICH IS TOTALLY FALSE! I FEEL LIKE THE PAX OVERREACTED IN THIS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN CALLING THE 'HOTLINE' AND SAYING THE WHOLE COWLING WAS LOOSE WHEN ONLY 1 FASTENER APPEARED LOOSE AT FIRST. AS A CREWMEMBER, I FEEL WE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. I DID A PROPER PREFLT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ACFT. OUR COMPANY AGREED WITH OUR DECISION TO TKOF WITH ONLY A LOOSE FASTENER. WE VIOLATED NO COMPANY RULES OR FARS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE BY TAKING OFF WITH THIS FASTENER LOOSE. IN RETROSPECT, I AM NOT SURE HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS LIKE THESE WITH PAX EXCEPT JUST TO BE AS CAREFUL AND CAUTIOUS AS POSSIBLE WHEN IN CHARGE OF PAX LIVES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.