Narrative:

On mon jun 00 at XA00 I was sent out to do a ron check on aircraft xyz, an A320. Me and another tech split the workload. He was upstairs and I did downstairs on work card wuxv, steps 4 thru 9 which include idg oil levels. Idg and filter pressure differential indicator and starter oil level on the A320, the fan cowling have to be opened to do this. I opened both fan cowling and checked the idg and starter. The oil levels are good per the ron task card so I pulled the cowling off of the propeller rods and swung the cowling down and got under the cowling down and got under the engine and locked all 4 engine cowl latches and checked the latches and fuel and oil leaks per step 4a4 on the ron task card wuxv. The engine cowling on the A320 when closed looks down and latched so without climbing down there and looking at the latches you can not see if the cowling is locked. There are 2 service bulletins that are not done on air carrier aircraft that will pop the cowl out from the engine and hold the latch down to be seen. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the loss of the #1 engine left fan cowling was investigated by the company and the FAA. The reporter said the company came to the conclusion the latches were not properly latched and the FAA conclusion was possible latch failure or false latching. The reporter said he is certain the cowling was closed and latched and not false latched. The problem with this latch is no positive indication of latch lock or unlock. The reporter stated two service bulletins were issued on the latches, one of which would prevent closing of the cowl until the latch was locked. The reporter said the company chose not to make the service bulletin modification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRBUS A320. ON TKOF THE #1 ENGINE LEFT FAN COWLING DEPARTED THE ACFT INCURRING HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ENGINE COWLING DAMAGE CAUSED BY FAILED OR FALSE LATCHED FAN COWLING LATCHES.

Narrative: ON MON JUN 00 AT XA00 I WAS SENT OUT TO DO A RON CHK ON ACFT XYZ, AN A320. ME AND ANOTHER TECH SPLIT THE WORKLOAD. HE WAS UPSTAIRS AND I DID DOWNSTAIRS ON WORK CARD WUXV, STEPS 4 THRU 9 WHICH INCLUDE IDG OIL LEVELS. IDG AND FILTER PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL INDICATOR AND STARTER OIL LEVEL ON THE A320, THE FAN COWLING HAVE TO BE OPENED TO DO THIS. I OPENED BOTH FAN COWLING AND CHECKED THE IDG AND STARTER. THE OIL LEVELS ARE GOOD PER THE RON TASK CARD SO I PULLED THE COWLING OFF OF THE PROP RODS AND SWUNG THE COWLING DOWN AND GOT UNDER THE COWLING DOWN AND GOT UNDER THE ENGINE AND LOCKED ALL 4 ENGINE COWL LATCHES AND CHKED THE LATCHES AND FUEL AND OIL LEAKS PER STEP 4A4 ON THE RON TASK CARD WUXV. THE ENGINE COWLING ON THE A320 WHEN CLOSED LOOKS DOWN AND LATCHED SO WITHOUT CLIMBING DOWN THERE AND LOOKING AT THE LATCHES YOU CAN NOT SEE IF THE COWLING IS LOCKED. THERE ARE 2 SERVICE BULLETINS THAT ARE NOT DONE ON ACR ACFT THAT WILL POP THE COWL OUT FROM THE ENGINE AND HOLD THE LATCH DOWN TO BE SEEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOSS OF THE #1 ENGINE LEFT FAN COWLING WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE COMPANY AND THE FAA. THE RPTR SAID THE COMPANY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THE LATCHES WERE NOT PROPERLY LATCHED AND THE FAA CONCLUSION WAS POSSIBLE LATCH FAILURE OR FALSE LATCHING. THE RPTR SAID HE IS CERTAIN THE COWLING WAS CLOSED AND LATCHED AND NOT FALSE LATCHED. THE PROB WITH THIS LATCH IS NO POSITIVE INDICATION OF LATCH LOCK OR UNLOCK. THE RPTR STATED TWO SERVICE BULLETINS WERE ISSUED ON THE LATCHES, ONE OF WHICH WOULD PREVENT CLOSING OF THE COWL UNTIL THE LATCH WAS LOCKED. THE RPTR SAID THE COMPANY CHOSE NOT TO MAKE THE SERVICE BULLETIN MODIFICATION.

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.