Cowl came open in-flight. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	255787
Time
Date	199311
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : slc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 4700
ASRS Report	255787
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We departed slc at XX05 and began our climb. About 20 mi out of slc a passenger came up to the cockpit and told us something had come loose on the right engine. I had my first officer go back and take a look. My first officer told me our right cowling had buckled. We slowed the aircraft down and let departure know we were coming back to land. We landed without any conflict to the flight. We had no cockpit indications of anything wrong. We did not know the extent of the damage. On the ground at the gate, my first officer assured me that he had checked the latches on that cowling and they were closed and secured. We had done an extensive preflight. The decision to return to slc was easy and solving the problem was easy. After solving the problem, I worried about what the FAA and the company's reactions would be. I became so involved in thinking about different consequences that I fell out of the loop.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COWL CAME OPEN INFLT. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED SLC AT XX05 AND BEGAN OUR CLB. ABOUT 20 MI OUT OF SLC A PAX CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND TOLD US SOMETHING HAD COME LOOSE ON THE R ENG. I HAD MY FO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK. MY FO TOLD ME OUR R COWLING HAD BUCKLED. WE SLOWED THE ACFT DOWN AND LET DEP KNOW WE WERE COMING BACK TO LAND. WE LANDED WITHOUT ANY CONFLICT TO THE FLT. WE HAD NO COCKPIT INDICATIONS OF ANYTHING WRONG. WE DID NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. ON THE GND AT THE GATE, MY FO ASSURED ME THAT HE HAD CHKED THE LATCHES ON THAT COWLING AND THEY WERE CLOSED AND SECURED. WE HAD DONE AN EXTENSIVE PREFLT. THE DECISION TO RETURN TO SLC WAS EASY AND SOLVING THE PROB WAS EASY. AFTER SOLVING THE PROB, I WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE FAA AND THE COMPANY'S REACTIONS WOULD BE. I BECAME SO INVOLVED IN THINKING ABOUT DIFFERENT CONSEQUENCES THAT I FELL OUT OF THE LOOP.

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.