A320 flight lost a piece of engine cowling during initial approach to ZZZ.

Attributes
ACN	518987
Time
Date	200107
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 750 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	518987
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : acft vibration. other other : 4 (faa insp.)
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Operating as PIC on air carrier flight xx las-ZZZ. During initial descent to ZZZ, first officer and I felt a slight vibration or shudder. Since there was no indication of an engine problem, we assumed it was wake turbulence from the aircraft ahead of us. The rest of the descent and landing were uneventful. Parked at the gate, my first officer did a postflt inspection of the aircraft and found no problems. In addition, the aircraft was being turned over to contract maintenance who also was going to do a thorough postflt inspection, since we had reported a possible bird strike. Reporting for duty at XA15 the next day, I was informed that the FAA had done a ramp check and found that a piece of sheet metal had come off a section of the right engine that covers honeycomb around the inside of the nacelle. During the postflt inspection, my first officer did not indicate anything wrong with the aircraft. He does a very thorough preflight and postflt inspection, but did not see the piece of metal that came off because of its location behind the fan blade. In the future, if anything is suspect, I will also do a postflt inspection just to make sure nothing is missed, regardless if maintenance is taking over the aircraft as well.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT LOST A PIECE OF ENG COWLING DURING INITIAL APCH TO ZZZ.

Narrative: OPERATING AS PIC ON ACR FLT XX LAS-ZZZ. DURING INITIAL DSCNT TO ZZZ, FO AND I FELT A SLIGHT VIBRATION OR SHUDDER. SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AN ENG PROB, WE ASSUMED IT WAS WAKE TURB FROM THE ACFT AHEAD OF US. THE REST OF THE DSCNT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. PARKED AT THE GATE, MY FO DID A POSTFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT AND FOUND NO PROBS. IN ADDITION, THE ACFT WAS BEING TURNED OVER TO CONTRACT MAINT WHO ALSO WAS GOING TO DO A THOROUGH POSTFLT INSPECTION, SINCE WE HAD RPTED A POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE. RPTING FOR DUTY AT XA15 THE NEXT DAY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAA HAD DONE A RAMP CHK AND FOUND THAT A PIECE OF SHEET METAL HAD COME OFF A SECTION OF THE R ENG THAT COVERS HONEYCOMB AROUND THE INSIDE OF THE NACELLE. DURING THE POSTFLT INSPECTION, MY FO DID NOT INDICATE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ACFT. HE DOES A VERY THOROUGH PREFLT AND POSTFLT INSPECTION, BUT DID NOT SEE THE PIECE OF METAL THAT CAME OFF BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION BEHIND THE FAN BLADE. IN THE FUTURE, IF ANYTHING IS SUSPECT, I WILL ALSO DO A POSTFLT INSPECTION JUST TO MAKE SURE NOTHING IS MISSED, REGARDLESS IF MAINT IS TAKING OVER THE ACFT AS WELL.

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.