Narrative:

On 02/fri/02 at XA45L while departing from ZZZ, engine cowlings came off the #2 engine during takeoff. I completed a routine preflight with no problems noted. The #2 engine locks indicated closed and the cowlings around the engine appeared flush against the engine. Work had been done on the #2 engine high stage bleed valve earlier that day, to include an engine run on the engine. The primary reason we returned to land was because of another problem, the nose landing gear door would not close completely after takeoff, and gear retraction. Shortly after dealing with this problem ATC reported to us another air carrier saw something on the runway that appeared to be an engine cowling. So we kept our speed below 230 KTS, the gear door limit speed and returned to land. Upon block-in I immediately looked under the nose landing gear area and the gear door was open, but when I looked back toward the engines, the cowlings on #2 engine were gone. When the airport authority/authorized located the left half of the engine cowling our crew went with them on to the runway to see it. The forward and aft locks were still locked and the center lock was unlocked. On the cfm engines the locks are very easy to identify if they are unlocked because they would hang down so far below the engine that you could see it from the nose, wingtip, or tail of the aircraft, let alone being right next to the engine. And when you check the CSD oil, on the lower right side, the center lock is about 10-12 inches from the access door, so if the lock is open you would clearly see it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the engine cowling was checked on the preflight walkaround inspection and appeared secure. The reporter said the engine cowling was being closed as the preflight inspection was being conducted and completed as the inspection reached #2 engine. The reporter stated the cowling was flush and all latches were locked. The reporter said when the cowling was recovered from the runway the forward latch and aft latch were found locked but the center latch was found unlocked. The company has made no determination on any failure or fault.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-71F ON TKOF ROLL HAD THE L AND R FAN COWLING DEPART THE #2 ENG INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE UPPER WING SURFACE AND COWLING.

Narrative: ON 02/FRI/02 AT XA45L WHILE DEPARTING FROM ZZZ, ENG COWLINGS CAME OFF THE #2 ENG DURING TKOF. I COMPLETED A ROUTINE PREFLT WITH NO PROBS NOTED. THE #2 ENG LOCKS INDICATED CLOSED AND THE COWLINGS AROUND THE ENG APPEARED FLUSH AGAINST THE ENG. WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON THE #2 ENG HIGH STAGE BLEED VALVE EARLIER THAT DAY, TO INCLUDE AN ENG RUN ON THE ENG. THE PRIMARY REASON WE RETURNED TO LAND WAS BECAUSE OF ANOTHER PROB, THE NOSE LNDG GEAR DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY AFTER TKOF, AND GEAR RETRACTION. SHORTLY AFTER DEALING WITH THIS PROB ATC RPTED TO US ANOTHER ACR SAW SOMETHING ON THE RWY THAT APPEARED TO BE AN ENG COWLING. SO WE KEPT OUR SPD BELOW 230 KTS, THE GEAR DOOR LIMIT SPD AND RETURNED TO LAND. UPON BLOCK-IN I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED UNDER THE NOSE LNDG GEAR AREA AND THE GEAR DOOR WAS OPEN, BUT WHEN I LOOKED BACK TOWARD THE ENGS, THE COWLINGS ON #2 ENG WERE GONE. WHEN THE ARPT AUTH LOCATED THE L HALF OF THE ENG COWLING OUR CREW WENT WITH THEM ON TO THE RWY TO SEE IT. THE FORWARD AND AFT LOCKS WERE STILL LOCKED AND THE CTR LOCK WAS UNLOCKED. ON THE CFM ENGS THE LOCKS ARE VERY EASY TO IDENT IF THEY ARE UNLOCKED BECAUSE THEY WOULD HANG DOWN SO FAR BELOW THE ENG THAT YOU COULD SEE IT FROM THE NOSE, WINGTIP, OR TAIL OF THE ACFT, LET ALONE BEING RIGHT NEXT TO THE ENG. AND WHEN YOU CHK THE CSD OIL, ON THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE, THE CTR LOCK IS ABOUT 10-12 INCHES FROM THE ACCESS DOOR, SO IF THE LOCK IS OPEN YOU WOULD CLRLY SEE IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ENG COWLING WAS CHKED ON THE PREFLT WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND APPEARED SECURE. THE RPTR SAID THE ENG COWLING WAS BEING CLOSED AS THE PREFLT INSPECTION WAS BEING CONDUCTED AND COMPLETED AS THE INSPECTION REACHED #2 ENG. THE RPTR STATED THE COWLING WAS FLUSH AND ALL LATCHES WERE LOCKED. THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE COWLING WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RWY THE FORWARD LATCH AND AFT LATCH WERE FOUND LOCKED BUT THE CTR LATCH WAS FOUND UNLOCKED. THE COMPANY HAS MADE NO DETERMINATION ON ANY FAILURE OR FAULT.

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.