Narrative:

During climb at 2500 ft MSL the flight attendant notified me that a passenger observed that the right engine cowling had come open. I leveled at 4000 ft MSL and requested immediate clearance to come back and land at cvg. Landing uneventful and no passenger injuries. Prior to pushback ramp agent serviced each engine with one quart of oil. First officer checked oil caps and engine service doors after servicing. After landing I was told by the ramp service manager that ramp agent was new to job and unlatched outboard side of right engine and forgot to secure cowling prior to pushback. It should be noted the oil service door is on the inboard side of engine and that the ramp agent apparently did not know how to service the engine. The first officer and myself performed separate preflts within 45 mins of departure and we did not observe any cowlings unlatched. The oil servicing was performed after our preflts. It should also be noted that the ramp agent advised the first officer and myself 20 mins prior pushback that he needed help since he had never serviced an E120 before. The first officer showed him how to service the left engine with oil. It appears that there is a training deficiency and management oversight on not correcting the training deficiency. Supplemental information from acn 327650: on the E120 the oil service door on the left engine faces out away from the fuselage. The door on the right engine faces in toward the fuselage. Apparently the ramp agent unlatched the cowling on the right outboard engine thinking it was the oil service door and forgot to relatch it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, A COMMUTER E120 FLC WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX NOTICED SOMETHING ON THE R ENG. THE COWLING ON THE R ENG HAD COME OPEN AS A RESULT OF HAVING BEEN LEFT UNLATCHED BY AN AGENT WHO WAS SERVICING THE OIL PRIOR TO THE FLT'S DEP. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: DURING CLB AT 2500 FT MSL THE FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME THAT A PAX OBSERVED THAT THE R ENG COWLING HAD COME OPEN. I LEVELED AT 4000 FT MSL AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE CLRNC TO COME BACK AND LAND AT CVG. LNDG UNEVENTFUL AND NO PAX INJURIES. PRIOR TO PUSHBACK RAMP AGENT SERVICED EACH ENG WITH ONE QUART OF OIL. FO CHKED OIL CAPS AND ENG SVC DOORS AFTER SERVICING. AFTER LNDG I WAS TOLD BY THE RAMP SVC MGR THAT RAMP AGENT WAS NEW TO JOB AND UNLATCHED OUTBOARD SIDE OF R ENG AND FORGOT TO SECURE COWLING PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE OIL SVC DOOR IS ON THE INBOARD SIDE OF ENG AND THAT THE RAMP AGENT APPARENTLY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SVC THE ENG. THE FO AND MYSELF PERFORMED SEPARATE PREFLTS WITHIN 45 MINS OF DEP AND WE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY COWLINGS UNLATCHED. THE OIL SERVICING WAS PERFORMED AFTER OUR PREFLTS. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE RAMP AGENT ADVISED THE FO AND MYSELF 20 MINS PRIOR PUSHBACK THAT HE NEEDED HELP SINCE HE HAD NEVER SERVICED AN E120 BEFORE. THE FO SHOWED HIM HOW TO SVC THE L ENG WITH OIL. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A TRAINING DEFICIENCY AND MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT ON NOT CORRECTING THE TRAINING DEFICIENCY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 327650: ON THE E120 THE OIL SVC DOOR ON THE L ENG FACES OUT AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE DOOR ON THE R ENG FACES IN TOWARD THE FUSELAGE. APPARENTLY THE RAMP AGENT UNLATCHED THE COWLING ON THE R OUTBOARD ENG THINKING IT WAS THE OIL SVC DOOR AND FORGOT TO RELATCH IT.

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.