Narrative:

I planned a morning flight from lincoln to kearney, northeast. The overnight temperature had been about 0 degrees F. The night before the flight, I plugged in the oil pan heater, covered the cowl with a blanket and inserted small fiber pillows (cowl plugs) into the front cowl openings. This was the first time I had used cowl plugs. In the morning, I conducted a thorough preflight inspection while the interior of the airplane was being preheated. When I got to the cowl, I removed the blanket and cowl plugs, checked the normal items, reinserted the cowl plugs, told myself that I must remember to remove the cowl plugs and continued with the preflight. Engine start, taxi, and runup were normal considering the cold WX. Cabin heat seemed a bit weak, which I attributed to the cold WX. I was cleared for takeoff on runway 17L in normal sequence. The takeoff run was normal and all gauges were normal except for the tachometer, which was about 50 RPM lower than usual. I attributed the lower RPM to relatively dense air (cold, high pressure). Immediately after liftoff, I smelled a burning odor, then saw a flap of white fabric at the left front cowl. I immediately recognized that I had forgotten to remove the cowl plugs. I reduced power, established a glide in an attempt to land on the remaining runway, and advised the tower that I needed to land. When it became clear that I could not land safely on the remaining runway, I added partial power and advised the tower that I needed any runway. I was cleared to land on runway 17L, my departure runway. I flew a lower than normal pattern to remain within gliding distance of the runway. I completed the pattern, landed safely and taxied clear of the runway without further complication. Upon inspection, the right side cowl plug had become entangled in the alternator belt and partially melted the belt. No other damage was evident on preliminary inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT, DUE TO ENG PROB, RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: I PLANNED A MORNING FLT FROM LINCOLN TO KEARNEY, NE. THE OVERNIGHT TEMP HAD BEEN ABOUT 0 DEGS F. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FLT, I PLUGGED IN THE OIL PAN HEATER, COVERED THE COWL WITH A BLANKET AND INSERTED SMALL FIBER PILLOWS (COWL PLUGS) INTO THE FRONT COWL OPENINGS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD USED COWL PLUGS. IN THE MORNING, I CONDUCTED A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION WHILE THE INTERIOR OF THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING PREHEATED. WHEN I GOT TO THE COWL, I REMOVED THE BLANKET AND COWL PLUGS, CHKED THE NORMAL ITEMS, REINSERTED THE COWL PLUGS, TOLD MYSELF THAT I MUST REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE COWL PLUGS AND CONTINUED WITH THE PREFLT. ENG START, TAXI, AND RUNUP WERE NORMAL CONSIDERING THE COLD WX. CABIN HEAT SEEMED A BIT WEAK, WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO THE COLD WX. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 17L IN NORMAL SEQUENCE. THE TKOF RUN WAS NORMAL AND ALL GAUGES WERE NORMAL EXCEPT FOR THE TACHOMETER, WHICH WAS ABOUT 50 RPM LOWER THAN USUAL. I ATTRIBUTED THE LOWER RPM TO RELATIVELY DENSE AIR (COLD, HIGH PRESSURE). IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFTOFF, I SMELLED A BURNING ODOR, THEN SAW A FLAP OF WHITE FABRIC AT THE L FRONT COWL. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO REMOVE THE COWL PLUGS. I REDUCED PWR, ESTABLISHED A GLIDE IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RWY, AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT I NEEDED TO LAND. WHEN IT BECAME CLR THAT I COULD NOT LAND SAFELY ON THE REMAINING RWY, I ADDED PARTIAL PWR AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT I NEEDED ANY RWY. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 17L, MY DEP RWY. I FLEW A LOWER THAN NORMAL PATTERN TO REMAIN WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF THE RWY. I COMPLETED THE PATTERN, LANDED SAFELY AND TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATION. UPON INSPECTION, THE R SIDE COWL PLUG HAD BECOME ENTANGLED IN THE ALTERNATOR BELT AND PARTIALLY MELTED THE BELT. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT ON PRELIMINARY 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.