A widebody transport air carrier lost part of one of its reversers.

Attributes
ACN	228998
Time
Date	199212
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pvd
State Reference	RI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	228998
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	229360
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On descent into the jfk area at approximately FL240, I noticed the reverse isolation light and reverse intransit light on the left engine came on momentarily. Soon after we heard a loud noise and felt a sharp jolt. A visual inspection from a cabin window revealed a partial cowling loss on the left engine, but no further damage could be seen from the ground. We made a normal visual landing at jfk all aircraft systems worked normally. I do not know what caused the cowling to depart the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reverser had been locked out per the air carrier MEL prior to leaving europe because maintenance had found a crack in the track that operates the reverser. The part that left the aircraft is fiberglass. All reversers are being modified and the MEL is being changed because of this incident. There was very slight damage to the underside of the wing and the engine nacelle. Supplemental information from acn 229360. A flyby of the airport was made so tower and maintenance personnel could look at the plane. Their report confirmed what he saw. Gear and flaps were extended by normal system and a normal landing was made. The equipment was on the scene and communication between fire department and mechanics and ATC very good.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB ACR LOST PART OF ONE OF ITS REVERSERS.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO THE JFK AREA AT APPROX FL240, I NOTICED THE REVERSE ISOLATION LIGHT AND REVERSE INTRANSIT LIGHT ON THE L ENG CAME ON MOMENTARILY. SOON AFTER WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT A SHARP JOLT. A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM A CABIN WINDOW REVEALED A PARTIAL COWLING LOSS ON THE L ENG, BUT NO FURTHER DAMAGE COULD BE SEEN FROM THE GND. WE MADE A NORMAL VISUAL LNDG AT JFK ALL ACFT SYSTEMS WORKED NORMALLY. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE COWLING TO DEPART THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE REVERSER HAD BEEN LOCKED OUT PER THE ACR MEL PRIOR TO LEAVING EUROPE BECAUSE MAINT HAD FOUND A CRACK IN THE TRACK THAT OPERATES THE REVERSER. THE PART THAT LEFT THE ACFT IS FIBERGLASS. ALL REVERSERS ARE BEING MODIFIED AND THE MEL IS BEING CHANGED BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. THERE WAS VERY SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING AND THE ENG NACELLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 229360. A FLYBY OF THE ARPT WAS MADE SO TWR AND MAINT PERSONNEL COULD LOOK AT THE PLANE. THEIR RPT CONFIRMED WHAT HE SAW. GEAR AND FLAPS WERE EXTENDED BY NORMAL SYS AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. THE EQUIP WAS ON THE SCENE AND COM BTWN FIRE DEPT AND MECHS AND ATC VERY GOOD.

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.