Narrative:

I was notified by the next crew taking over our airplane that the #2 engine's top cowling cover was missing. As I began to recall the exact specifications of the flight; I remembered that upon climb out from ZZZ at approximately 7000 to 8000 ft; we were given a turn to 290 degrees off the ZZZ 328 radial. At that moment we experienced a slight yaw and a quick chop. I was still hand flying and asked what it was. The captain said it was most likely wake turbulence because numerous aircraft were also on the arrival and in the vicinity of some local airports. We continued on the flight as normal. All indications were normal and no extra thrust was required to maintain cruise. The aircraft even maintained 1000 ft/minute in climb up to FL260; which is very good for the CRJ200. Upon the post flight walkaround; I failed to use a flashlight because of a distraction with passenger deplaning. We had called in range for 2 unaccompanied minors but when we arrived; the gate agent deplaned the normal passenger and left. I got up to go get someone to sign for the unaccompanied minors. The gate agent had left so I walked back to get a ramp person to either sign or radio back up to the agent. Since I was at the cargo bin already; I decided to continue my way around to complete the walkaround. I did fail to get a flashlight because of the distraction and I walked around the airplane in the reverse order as the normal walkaround. I do remember checking the bottom portion of the cowling but in the darkness I failed to notice that the top part was missing. The APU was shut down so I walked underneath the engine instead of to the outer edge which limited my view of the top portions. Upon notification of the problem; I became aware that several cowling screws were still attached. It seems as though the cover just ripped away.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated it was dark when the post flight inspection was accomplished and the right engine top cowling was not observed missing. The preflight check performed at the departure station failed to note any problems. The reporter indicated the cowling fasteners on both engines looked normal with no loose or hanging fasteners. Reportedly the outbound crew also missed the missing cowling on the preflight check but was alerted by a police officer near the departure gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 ON CLB BETWEEN 7000 FT AND 8000 FT HAD SLIGHT YAW AND CHOP. CREW SUSPECTED TURB FROM OTHER ACFT. NEXT MORNING; IT WAS DISCOVERED THE RIGHT ENG TOP COWLING WAS MISSING WITH SOME FASTENERS STILL ATTACHED.

Narrative: I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE NEXT CREW TAKING OVER OUR AIRPLANE THAT THE #2 ENG'S TOP COWLING COVER WAS MISSING. AS I BEGAN TO RECALL THE EXACT SPECIFICATIONS OF THE FLT; I REMEMBERED THAT UPON CLB OUT FROM ZZZ AT APPROX 7000 TO 8000 FT; WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 290 DEGS OFF THE ZZZ 328 RADIAL. AT THAT MOMENT WE EXPERIENCED A SLIGHT YAW AND A QUICK CHOP. I WAS STILL HAND FLYING AND ASKED WHAT IT WAS. THE CAPT SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY WAKE TURB BECAUSE NUMEROUS ACFT WERE ALSO ON THE ARR AND IN THE VICINITY OF SOME LOCAL ARPTS. WE CONTINUED ON THE FLT AS NORMAL. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL AND NO EXTRA THRUST WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN CRUISE. THE ACFT EVEN MAINTAINED 1000 FT/MINUTE IN CLB UP TO FL260; WHICH IS VERY GOOD FOR THE CRJ200. UPON THE POST FLT WALKAROUND; I FAILED TO USE A FLASHLIGHT BECAUSE OF A DISTRACTION WITH PAX DEPLANING. WE HAD CALLED IN RANGE FOR 2 UNACCOMPANIED MINORS BUT WHEN WE ARRIVED; THE GATE AGENT DEPLANED THE NORMAL PAX AND LEFT. I GOT UP TO GO GET SOMEONE TO SIGN FOR THE UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. THE GATE AGENT HAD LEFT SO I WALKED BACK TO GET A RAMP PERSON TO EITHER SIGN OR RADIO BACK UP TO THE AGENT. SINCE I WAS AT THE CARGO BIN ALREADY; I DECIDED TO CONTINUE MY WAY AROUND TO COMPLETE THE WALKAROUND. I DID FAIL TO GET A FLASHLIGHT BECAUSE OF THE DISTRACTION AND I WALKED AROUND THE AIRPLANE IN THE REVERSE ORDER AS THE NORMAL WALKAROUND. I DO REMEMBER CHKING THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE COWLING BUT IN THE DARKNESS I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE TOP PART WAS MISSING. THE APU WAS SHUT DOWN SO I WALKED UNDERNEATH THE ENG INSTEAD OF TO THE OUTER EDGE WHICH LIMITED MY VIEW OF THE TOP PORTIONS. UPON NOTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM; I BECAME AWARE THAT SEVERAL COWLING SCREWS WERE STILL ATTACHED. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE COVER JUST RIPPED AWAY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IT WAS DARK WHEN THE POST FLT INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND THE R ENG TOP COWLING WAS NOT OBSERVED MISSING. THE PREFLT CHK PERFORMED AT THE DEP STATION FAILED TO NOTE ANY PROBLEMS. THE RPTR INDICATED THE COWLING FASTENERS ON BOTH ENGS LOOKED NORMAL WITH NO LOOSE OR HANGING FASTENERS. REPORTEDLY THE OUTBOUND CREW ALSO MISSED THE MISSING COWLING ON THE PREFLT CHK BUT WAS ALERTED BY A POLICE OFFICER NEAR THE DEP GATE.

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.