A PA32-260 private pilot loses the right side of his one piece cowling while on initial climb out fr...

Attributes
ACN	460340
Time
Date	200001
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : crg.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : jax.tracon tower : mdw.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	460340
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Departed crg on VFR flight to mia with VFR flight following. Handed off to departure. Shortly after establishing contact with departure and during climb, I heard a bang. An engine cowling on right side bent upwards and towards windshield. Engine cowling on a cherokee 6 is all 1 piece. I immediately notified departure, but did not declare an emergency. I was cleared for immediate return to crg. Crg cleared me for immediate landing. On final at approximately 500 ft AGL, right side of cowling broke off and flew past me without striking the plane. After landing, ground personnel were able to retrieve the piece that broke off. I believe I did a thorough preflight and did not detect that any latch was loose. Aircraft had been flown within previous 24 hours without incident. To my knowledge, no one had removed cowling during intervening time. The mechanic who is repairing the cowling reported the latches sustained minor damage, but that the cam locks on the front of the cowling (right side) were missing totally. In his view, it is equally possible that 1) cam locks failed allowing cowling to come up, 2) latches were not fully secure allowing cowling to come up and breaking the cam locks, or a combination of both. Incident may indicate a need to inspect the cam locks and cowling latches on PA32-260's for integrity.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32-260 PVT PLT LOSES THE R SIDE OF HIS ONE PIECE COWLING WHILE ON INITIAL CLBOUT FROM CRG, FL.

Narrative: DEPARTED CRG ON VFR FLT TO MIA WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING. HANDED OFF TO DEP. SHORTLY AFTER ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH DEP AND DURING CLB, I HEARD A BANG. AN ENG COWLING ON R SIDE BENT UPWARDS AND TOWARDS WINDSHIELD. ENG COWLING ON A CHEROKEE 6 IS ALL 1 PIECE. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED DEP, BUT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. I WAS CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE RETURN TO CRG. CRG CLRED ME FOR IMMEDIATE LNDG. ON FINAL AT APPROX 500 FT AGL, R SIDE OF COWLING BROKE OFF AND FLEW PAST ME WITHOUT STRIKING THE PLANE. AFTER LNDG, GND PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE PIECE THAT BROKE OFF. I BELIEVE I DID A THOROUGH PREFLT AND DID NOT DETECT THAT ANY LATCH WAS LOOSE. ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN WITHIN PREVIOUS 24 HRS WITHOUT INCIDENT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO ONE HAD REMOVED COWLING DURING INTERVENING TIME. THE MECH WHO IS REPAIRING THE COWLING RPTED THE LATCHES SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, BUT THAT THE CAM LOCKS ON THE FRONT OF THE COWLING (R SIDE) WERE MISSING TOTALLY. IN HIS VIEW, IT IS EQUALLY POSSIBLE THAT 1) CAM LOCKS FAILED ALLOWING COWLING TO COME UP, 2) LATCHES WERE NOT FULLY SECURE ALLOWING COWLING TO COME UP AND BREAKING THE CAM LOCKS, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. INCIDENT MAY INDICATE A NEED TO INSPECT THE CAM LOCKS AND COWLING LATCHES ON PA32-260'S FOR INTEGRITY.

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.

A PA32-260 private pilot loses the right side of his one piece cowling while on initial climb out from crg, fl.