Narrative:

Air carrier flight abcd was a DC10 aircraft operated on sep/xa/00 from ZZZ-dtw. The aircraft had come from the hangar following routine maintenance and was parked at the gate in ZZZ. Preflight inspection was normal with no discrepancies noted. Taxi, takeoff and initial climb were normal. At approximately 10000 ft, as the aircraft accelerated to climb speed, a 'bump' (similar to a wake turbulence bump) occurred and simultaneously the #1 autoplt disengaged. We discussed the bump and collectively decided that it was either wake turbulence or that possibly a cargo container had shifted in the cargo compartment. The lead flight attendant came to the cockpit to ask if we had heard the bump as well. We said that we had and that nothing seemed unusual or out of the ordinary with the aircraft. There was a history of autoplt #1 problems so we selected autoplt #2 and continued with all indications normal. (Ie, no buffeting, no vibrations, no warning lights, no pressurization, electrical, hydraulic, control feel problems -- everything was normal.) since we suspected a cargo container shift. We decided to fly at FL270, a reported smooth altitude, as opposed to FL370 with light chop. Descent, approach and landing were all normal. As we exited runway 21R in dtw, the tower reported a problem with our tailcone. They said that it was hanging down. We questioned ATC regarding the presence of fire or smoke and were told that there was no indication of either. As a further precaution, the #2 (center tail mounted engine) engine was shut down, and we elected not to start the APU (also located in the tailcone area). The decision was made to continue to the gate since there were no obvious reasons (no fire or smoke) to prevent a normal gate arrival. Taxi in and parking were normal. External power was supplied and the remaining engines were shut down. The tailcone on the DC10 is hinged on the bottom so it can be positioned out of the way to facilitate engine #2 maintenance or removal. It appears that the tailcone had not been properly secured following maintenance. There are also no external latches or indicators for inspection during the preflight inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 TAILCONE CAME UNLATCHED INFLT IN ZMP CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ACR FLT ABCD WAS A DC10 ACFT OPERATED ON SEP/XA/00 FROM ZZZ-DTW. THE ACFT HAD COME FROM THE HANGAR FOLLOWING ROUTINE MAINT AND WAS PARKED AT THE GATE IN ZZZ. PREFLT INSPECTION WAS NORMAL WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. TAXI, TKOF AND INITIAL CLB WERE NORMAL. AT APPROX 10000 FT, AS THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO CLB SPD, A 'BUMP' (SIMILAR TO A WAKE TURB BUMP) OCCURRED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE #1 AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. WE DISCUSSED THE BUMP AND COLLECTIVELY DECIDED THAT IT WAS EITHER WAKE TURB OR THAT POSSIBLY A CARGO CONTAINER HAD SHIFTED IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO ASK IF WE HAD HEARD THE BUMP AS WELL. WE SAID THAT WE HAD AND THAT NOTHING SEEMED UNUSUAL OR OUT OF THE ORDINARY WITH THE ACFT. THERE WAS A HISTORY OF AUTOPLT #1 PROBS SO WE SELECTED AUTOPLT #2 AND CONTINUED WITH ALL INDICATIONS NORMAL. (IE, NO BUFFETING, NO VIBRATIONS, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO PRESSURIZATION, ELECTRICAL, HYD, CTL FEEL PROBS -- EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL.) SINCE WE SUSPECTED A CARGO CONTAINER SHIFT. WE DECIDED TO FLY AT FL270, A RPTED SMOOTH ALT, AS OPPOSED TO FL370 WITH LIGHT CHOP. DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG WERE ALL NORMAL. AS WE EXITED RWY 21R IN DTW, THE TWR RPTED A PROB WITH OUR TAILCONE. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS HANGING DOWN. WE QUESTIONED ATC REGARDING THE PRESENCE OF FIRE OR SMOKE AND WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF EITHER. AS A FURTHER PRECAUTION, THE #2 (CTR TAIL MOUNTED ENG) ENG WAS SHUT DOWN, AND WE ELECTED NOT TO START THE APU (ALSO LOCATED IN THE TAILCONE AREA). THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO THE GATE SINCE THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS REASONS (NO FIRE OR SMOKE) TO PREVENT A NORMAL GATE ARR. TAXI IN AND PARKING WERE NORMAL. EXTERNAL PWR WAS SUPPLIED AND THE REMAINING ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN. THE TAILCONE ON THE DC10 IS HINGED ON THE BOTTOM SO IT CAN BE POSITIONED OUT OF THE WAY TO FACILITATE ENG #2 MAINT OR REMOVAL. IT APPEARS THAT THE TAILCONE HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY SECURED FOLLOWING MAINT. THERE ARE ALSO NO EXTERNAL LATCHES OR INDICATORS FOR INSPECTION DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION.

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.