Narrative:

On the first leg to dfw we experienced an electronic engine control failure in the left engine. We reset the system using our pilot operating handbook. We had a 3 hour 45 min break in dfw where they worked on the left electronic engine control. The next 3 legs have all about 10-15 min turn times so I, myself, performed the walkaround inlet and mei. During our descent into atl (or the la grange arrival) we felt a sudden jolt. The aircraft yawed sharply to the left with the left wing low. I disconnected the autoplt and brought the aircraft back on course and altitude. I noticed a vibration in the control column and in the left power lever. At that time the flight attendant entered the cockpit and informed us that the left engine cowling was sticking straight up. I looked out of my left window and confirmed the cowling was not only up, but it was also folded and the rest of the cowlings appeared to be substantially damaged and I feared we would possibly lose the entire cowlings on the left engine. We declared an emergency and told the flight attendant to prepare the cabin for an emergency landing. We elected to land with flaps 25 degrees and at 140 KTS reference speed. After landing, the fire trucks inspected the left engine and found no leaking fuel and hydraulic lines. We taxied to our gate. During postflt inspection, found a metal rod stuck in leading edge of left wing and found all cowling latches closed. No feathers were found so a bird strike was ruled out. No damage to propeller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB-120RT ACFT IN DSCNT EXPERIENCED SHARP YAW TO THE L WITH L WING LOW. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE L ENG COWLING HAD PEELED UP AND BACK. FLC DECLARED EMER AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. POSTFLT REVEALED A METAL ROD STUCK IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING, PROBABLY THE LATCHING ROD FOR THE COWLING.

Narrative: ON THE FIRST LEG TO DFW WE EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRONIC ENG CTL FAILURE IN THE L ENG. WE RESET THE SYS USING OUR PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK. WE HAD A 3 HR 45 MIN BREAK IN DFW WHERE THEY WORKED ON THE L ELECTRONIC ENG CTL. THE NEXT 3 LEGS HAVE ALL ABOUT 10-15 MIN TURN TIMES SO I, MYSELF, PERFORMED THE WALKAROUND INLET AND MEI. DURING OUR DSCNT INTO ATL (OR THE LA GRANGE ARR) WE FELT A SUDDEN JOLT. THE ACFT YAWED SHARPLY TO THE L WITH THE L WING LOW. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BROUGHT THE ACFT BACK ON COURSE AND ALT. I NOTICED A VIBRATION IN THE CTL COLUMN AND IN THE L PWR LEVER. AT THAT TIME THE FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED US THAT THE L ENG COWLING WAS STICKING STRAIGHT UP. I LOOKED OUT OF MY L WINDOW AND CONFIRMED THE COWLING WAS NOT ONLY UP, BUT IT WAS ALSO FOLDED AND THE REST OF THE COWLINGS APPEARED TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND I FEARED WE WOULD POSSIBLY LOSE THE ENTIRE COWLINGS ON THE L ENG. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EMER LNDG. WE ELECTED TO LAND WITH FLAPS 25 DEGS AND AT 140 KTS REF SPD. AFTER LNDG, THE FIRE TRUCKS INSPECTED THE L ENG AND FOUND NO LEAKING FUEL AND HYD LINES. WE TAXIED TO OUR GATE. DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION, FOUND A METAL ROD STUCK IN LEADING EDGE OF L WING AND FOUND ALL COWLING LATCHES CLOSED. NO FEATHERS WERE FOUND SO A BIRD STRIKE WAS RULED OUT. NO DAMAGE TO PROP.

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.