Narrative:

On evening of nov xx 1996, departed kissimmee to return to orl using operations and mentor plus moving map as primary navigation. Kissimmee is on edge of mco class B. Watching for traffic (kissimmee is uncontrolled), and splitting attention between cockpit and computer screen, woke up to the fact that mini airplane on computer screen was not moving. Continued straight while trying to solve GPS connection. Lost track of airport and position. Dropped to 1000 ft MSL and flew in a circle while trying to pull out navigation information for kissimmee. Almost certainly busted class B. Heard radio traffic on CTAF and orl tower stating 'not sure what he's doing, hanging around at 1000 ft, no factor to you at this time.' finally located kissimmee. Returned for a landing. Landed and fixed GPS, got other navaids dialed in and planned properly back to orl. Did not preflight, since I had not deplaned. Took off again with all working instruments. Approximately 9 mi west or orl, radio position and intentions. Was told to report 3 mi south expecting runway 31. At approximately 7 mi west, it was noticed that the engine cowling (piper 28-180D) was up slightly on l-hand side of aircraft (propeller side). This situation was monitored carefully and aircraft was slowed approximately 5 mi west. Some light chop was encountered and the cowling popped up higher on l-hand side. Within several seconds the cowling let go on left, swung back against the windshield and then let go completely. Tower was contacted and advised and runway 7, which was almost straight ahead, was requested. Other traffic was diverted and we were cleared for immediate landing on runway 7. Aircraft landed in light crosswind without further incident. Minor damage to windshield and support were discovered. Small hole in right side of fuselage was discovered, very light scratch across horizontal stabilizer discovered. Cowling never reported as found by anyone on the ground. No further contact made with tower on the subject. FAA not notified by me. I think that I had relied too heavily on technology for the first problem (GPS failure) and did not have a backup plan. As for the cowling, it may have loosened on landing at kissimmee (landing was a bit rough) and a preflight should have been done prior to departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28-180D PLT TRYING TO NAV WITH GPS BECAME DISORIENTED AND ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE, FOUND ARPT, LANDED AND FIXED GPS. AFTER DEPARTING AGAIN THE ACFT COWLING ON THE L SIDE CAME OFF CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO WINDSHIELD, HOLE IN FUSELAGE AND HORIZ STABILIZER. PLT LANDED AS ATC DIVERTED OTHER TFC.

Narrative: ON EVENING OF NOV XX 1996, DEPARTED KISSIMMEE TO RETURN TO ORL USING OPS AND MENTOR PLUS MOVING MAP AS PRIMARY NAV. KISSIMMEE IS ON EDGE OF MCO CLASS B. WATCHING FOR TFC (KISSIMMEE IS UNCTLED), AND SPLITTING ATTN BTWN COCKPIT AND COMPUTER SCREEN, WOKE UP TO THE FACT THAT MINI AIRPLANE ON COMPUTER SCREEN WAS NOT MOVING. CONTINUED STRAIGHT WHILE TRYING TO SOLVE GPS CONNECTION. LOST TRACK OF ARPT AND POS. DROPPED TO 1000 FT MSL AND FLEW IN A CIRCLE WHILE TRYING TO PULL OUT NAV INFO FOR KISSIMMEE. ALMOST CERTAINLY BUSTED CLASS B. HEARD RADIO TFC ON CTAF AND ORL TWR STATING 'NOT SURE WHAT HE'S DOING, HANGING AROUND AT 1000 FT, NO FACTOR TO YOU AT THIS TIME.' FINALLY LOCATED KISSIMMEE. RETURNED FOR A LNDG. LANDED AND FIXED GPS, GOT OTHER NAVAIDS DIALED IN AND PLANNED PROPERLY BACK TO ORL. DID NOT PREFLT, SINCE I HAD NOT DEPLANED. TOOK OFF AGAIN WITH ALL WORKING INSTS. APPROX 9 MI W OR ORL, RADIO POS AND INTENTIONS. WAS TOLD TO RPT 3 MI S EXPECTING RWY 31. AT APPROX 7 MI W, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE ENG COWLING (PIPER 28-180D) WAS UP SLIGHTLY ON L-HAND SIDE OF ACFT (PROP SIDE). THIS SIT WAS MONITORED CAREFULLY AND ACFT WAS SLOWED APPROX 5 MI W. SOME LIGHT CHOP WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE COWLING POPPED UP HIGHER ON L-HAND SIDE. WITHIN SEVERAL SECONDS THE COWLING LET GO ON L, SWUNG BACK AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD AND THEN LET GO COMPLETELY. TWR WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED AND RWY 7, WHICH WAS ALMOST STRAIGHT AHEAD, WAS REQUESTED. OTHER TFC WAS DIVERTED AND WE WERE CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE LNDG ON RWY 7. ACFT LANDED IN LIGHT XWIND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MINOR DAMAGE TO WINDSHIELD AND SUPPORT WERE DISCOVERED. SMALL HOLE IN R SIDE OF FUSELAGE WAS DISCOVERED, VERY LIGHT SCRATCH ACROSS HORIZ STABILIZER DISCOVERED. COWLING NEVER RPTED AS FOUND BY ANYONE ON THE GND. NO FURTHER CONTACT MADE WITH TWR ON THE SUBJECT. FAA NOT NOTIFIED BY ME. I THINK THAT I HAD RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FIRST PROB (GPS FAILURE) AND DID NOT HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. AS FOR THE COWLING, IT MAY HAVE LOOSENED ON LNDG AT KISSIMMEE (LNDG WAS A BIT ROUGH) AND A PREFLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE PRIOR TO DEP.

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.