Narrative:

Departed runway 26L at phx for tus just after sundown. Leveling off at 8000 ft, we received the bell call to open the cockpit door. One of our deadheading flight attendants was there to report that a piece of the #1 engine cowling had fallen off after takeoff, and that the outboard/opposite section of cowling was loose. I had a deadheading company check airman confirm this. The aircraft flight characteristics were normal and there was no other apparent damage. I notified departure control that we would like to stay at 8000 ft on the departure route and slow to 210 KTS, with a possible turn back to phx. The first officer continued flying and talked to departure while I conferred with company maintenance and dispatch. We all agreed on a turn back to phx. Departure control promptly vectored us back. I did not declare an emergency, but requested that crash/rescue equipment meet us after landing. Also, that our landing runway be inspected for debris before any other arrs. I briefed the passenger and crew over the PA on what had happened and that we expected to make a safe landing in a few mins. The first officer made a normal flaps 30 degree approach and landing, except for the outboard section of cowling falling off on the approach end of the runway. The landing rollout was normal, except we chose not to use the #1 reverser. The 2 sections of cowling that fell off our JT8D were the sections just forward of the thrust reverser. The larger cowlings forward of the two that fell off were open during preflight as maintenance was working to resolve a fuel heater problem. After maintenance returned the logbook to us they commented that we were good to go. After clearing the runway and shutting down the #1 engine, crash/rescue inspected the aircraft to ensure it was safe and fit to continue taxiing. During this time the first officer announced to the passenger to remain seated and talked to company to let them know of our situation and arrange a gate. Just as the crash/rescue gave us the ok to taxi, our first flight attendant notified us that a passenger had a 106 degree temperature and needed paramedics. (This was apparently due to a recent medical procedure the elderly man had had.) I made a PA announcement that we would be taxiing to the gate, and that all passenger should remain seated until paramedics had attended to the ill passenger. Shortly after the paramedics boarded, they escorted the gentleman to the boarding area. Thereafter, all passenger and crew deplaned uneventfully. Supplemental information from acn 398823: after the second aircraft change I arrived at the aircraft amid all the confusion that normally accompanies such changes. There were mechanics in the cockpit and gate agents under pressure to get the flight out as soon as possible. The mechanics weren't too talkative but somehow I got a vague idea that they were working on the left pack and fuel heat. Since I couldn't get into the cockpit, I went out to do the walkaround. When I got to the left side of the aircraft, the left air conditioning bay was open and the main engine cowls were open. I walked around the engine then I squatted down to look into the open cowl and air conditioning bay. Except for being open, everything looked normal to me. The tailpipe area and reversers all looked normal and I didn't notice any open latches at the aft area of the engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG HAS TO RETURN TO PHX WHEN IT IS NOTED THAT THEY HAD LOST ONE PART OF THEIR ENG COWLING AND WERE IN DANGER OF LOSING THE OTHER HALF OF THE SAME SECTION. THE OTHER HALF DROPPED OFF AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 26L AT PHX FOR TUS JUST AFTER SUNDOWN. LEVELING OFF AT 8000 FT, WE RECEIVED THE BELL CALL TO OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR. ONE OF OUR DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS WAS THERE TO RPT THAT A PIECE OF THE #1 ENG COWLING HAD FALLEN OFF AFTER TKOF, AND THAT THE OUTBOARD/OPPOSITE SECTION OF COWLING WAS LOOSE. I HAD A DEADHEADING COMPANY CHK AIRMAN CONFIRM THIS. THE ACFT FLT CHARACTERISTICS WERE NORMAL AND THERE WAS NO OTHER APPARENT DAMAGE. I NOTIFIED DEP CTL THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO STAY AT 8000 FT ON THE DEP RTE AND SLOW TO 210 KTS, WITH A POSSIBLE TURN BACK TO PHX. THE FO CONTINUED FLYING AND TALKED TO DEP WHILE I CONFERRED WITH COMPANY MAINT AND DISPATCH. WE ALL AGREED ON A TURN BACK TO PHX. DEP CTL PROMPTLY VECTORED US BACK. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, BUT REQUESTED THAT CRASH/RESCUE EQUIP MEET US AFTER LNDG. ALSO, THAT OUR LNDG RWY BE INSPECTED FOR DEBRIS BEFORE ANY OTHER ARRS. I BRIEFED THE PAX AND CREW OVER THE PA ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT WE EXPECTED TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG IN A FEW MINS. THE FO MADE A NORMAL FLAPS 30 DEG APCH AND LNDG, EXCEPT FOR THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF COWLING FALLING OFF ON THE APCH END OF THE RWY. THE LNDG ROLLOUT WAS NORMAL, EXCEPT WE CHOSE NOT TO USE THE #1 REVERSER. THE 2 SECTIONS OF COWLING THAT FELL OFF OUR JT8D WERE THE SECTIONS JUST FORWARD OF THE THRUST REVERSER. THE LARGER COWLINGS FORWARD OF THE TWO THAT FELL OFF WERE OPEN DURING PREFLT AS MAINT WAS WORKING TO RESOLVE A FUEL HEATER PROB. AFTER MAINT RETURNED THE LOGBOOK TO US THEY COMMENTED THAT WE WERE GOOD TO GO. AFTER CLRING THE RWY AND SHUTTING DOWN THE #1 ENG, CRASH/RESCUE INSPECTED THE ACFT TO ENSURE IT WAS SAFE AND FIT TO CONTINUE TAXIING. DURING THIS TIME THE FO ANNOUNCED TO THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED AND TALKED TO COMPANY TO LET THEM KNOW OF OUR SIT AND ARRANGE A GATE. JUST AS THE CRASH/RESCUE GAVE US THE OK TO TAXI, OUR FIRST FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED US THAT A PAX HAD A 106 DEG TEMP AND NEEDED PARAMEDICS. (THIS WAS APPARENTLY DUE TO A RECENT MEDICAL PROC THE ELDERLY MAN HAD HAD.) I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE WOULD BE TAXIING TO THE GATE, AND THAT ALL PAX SHOULD REMAIN SEATED UNTIL PARAMEDICS HAD ATTENDED TO THE ILL PAX. SHORTLY AFTER THE PARAMEDICS BOARDED, THEY ESCORTED THE GENTLEMAN TO THE BOARDING AREA. THEREAFTER, ALL PAX AND CREW DEPLANED UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 398823: AFTER THE SECOND ACFT CHANGE I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT AMID ALL THE CONFUSION THAT NORMALLY ACCOMPANIES SUCH CHANGES. THERE WERE MECHS IN THE COCKPIT AND GATE AGENTS UNDER PRESSURE TO GET THE FLT OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE MECHS WEREN'T TOO TALKATIVE BUT SOMEHOW I GOT A VAGUE IDEA THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE L PACK AND FUEL HEAT. SINCE I COULDN'T GET INTO THE COCKPIT, I WENT OUT TO DO THE WALKAROUND. WHEN I GOT TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT, THE L AIR CONDITIONING BAY WAS OPEN AND THE MAIN ENG COWLS WERE OPEN. I WALKED AROUND THE ENG THEN I SQUATTED DOWN TO LOOK INTO THE OPEN COWL AND AIR CONDITIONING BAY. EXCEPT FOR BEING OPEN, EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL TO ME. THE TAILPIPE AREA AND REVERSERS ALL LOOKED NORMAL AND I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY OPEN LATCHES AT THE AFT AREA OF THE ENG.

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.