A BE36 engine cowl fell off in-flight.

Attributes
ACN	653828
Time
Date	200504
Place
Locale Reference	airport : okz.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a80.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 3150
ASRS Report	653828
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Engine cowling broke open. After several mins it separated from the aircraft. Incident occurred approximately 12-15 mi south of sandersville airport. Aircraft was then landed with no other incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter had flown from his departure airport to passenger drop off airport and was returning to his original departure point. He stated that he did positively check the cowl latches on initial preflight but did not examine them following his passenger drop. He had began his initial descent when the cowl began vibrating and finally separating approximately 10 mins later. When the cowl finally departed over south georgia he landed as soon as possible. Pilot stated that he did not declare an emergency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE36 ENG COWL FELL OFF INFLT.

Narrative: ENG COWLING BROKE OPEN. AFTER SEVERAL MINS IT SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. INCIDENT OCCURRED APPROX 12-15 MI S OF SANDERSVILLE ARPT. ACFT WAS THEN LANDED WITH NO OTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAD FLOWN FROM HIS DEP ARPT TO PAX DROP OFF ARPT AND WAS RETURNING TO HIS ORIGINAL DEP POINT. HE STATED THAT HE DID POSITIVELY CHK THE COWL LATCHES ON INITIAL PREFLT BUT DID NOT EXAMINE THEM FOLLOWING HIS PAX DROP. HE HAD BEGAN HIS INITIAL DSCNT WHEN THE COWL BEGAN VIBRATING AND FINALLY SEPARATING APPROX 10 MINS LATER. WHEN THE COWL FINALLY DEPARTED OVER SOUTH GEORGIA HE LANDED ASAP. PLT STATED THAT HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.