Narrative:

For this flight the preflight walkaround; and all ground operations including takeoff were normal. Climbing out of about 10000 ft; the flight attendant rang the cockpit to tell us that a passenger on the left side of the aircraft saw panels from engine #1 come off during the takeoff roll. At the same time that I am talking to the flight attendant; the captain gets a radio call from departure that the aircraft that took off behind us; ran over some metal debris on the runway. The captain levels off at 11000 ft and slows to 220 KIAS. The maximum speed achieved during climb out was 250 KIAS. During climb out; there is no unusual vibration or noise. The engine #1 vibration meters are reading .5 and .4. There is a commuting first officer on board and he verifies that the cowl panels are both gone. We coordinate with departure to hold east of ZZZ and start working with dispatch. I am flying and talking to ATC and the captain is talking to dispatch. After the call with dispatch is over; the captain and I discuss the plan. There are no control issues at 220 KIAS. We plan a normal approach; full flaps; flown 10 KIAS fast. We will use no reversers because the engine panels are missing and that was recommended. The captain briefed the flight attendants on the situation and a cabin advisory was declared. We then declared an emergency with approach and flew an uneventful approach to landing. We then pulled the aircraft off on a taxiway and the fire department checked us over. We then taxied in and shut down normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter believes that the latches must have been left undone by maintenance then missed on preflight. It is unlikely that all 4 latches failed at once. He has not received any follow up from his company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW HAS ENG COWL PANELS DEPART ACFT DURING TKOF. AFTER THE INFO REACHED THEM; AN EMER IS DECLARED AND THEY RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT.

Narrative: FOR THIS FLT THE PREFLT WALKAROUND; AND ALL GND OPS INCLUDING TKOF WERE NORMAL. CLBING OUT OF ABOUT 10000 FT; THE FLT ATTENDANT RANG THE COCKPIT TO TELL US THAT A PAX ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT SAW PANELS FROM ENG #1 COME OFF DURING THE TKOF ROLL. AT THE SAME TIME THAT I AM TALKING TO THE FLT ATTENDANT; THE CAPT GETS A RADIO CALL FROM DEP THAT THE ACFT THAT TOOK OFF BEHIND US; RAN OVER SOME METAL DEBRIS ON THE RWY. THE CAPT LEVELS OFF AT 11000 FT AND SLOWS TO 220 KIAS. THE MAX SPD ACHIEVED DURING CLBOUT WAS 250 KIAS. DURING CLBOUT; THERE IS NO UNUSUAL VIBRATION OR NOISE. THE ENG #1 VIBRATION METERS ARE READING .5 AND .4. THERE IS A COMMUTING FO ON BOARD AND HE VERIFIES THAT THE COWL PANELS ARE BOTH GONE. WE COORDINATE WITH DEP TO HOLD E OF ZZZ AND START WORKING WITH DISPATCH. I AM FLYING AND TALKING TO ATC AND THE CAPT IS TALKING TO DISPATCH. AFTER THE CALL WITH DISPATCH IS OVER; THE CAPT AND I DISCUSS THE PLAN. THERE ARE NO CTL ISSUES AT 220 KIAS. WE PLAN A NORMAL APCH; FULL FLAPS; FLOWN 10 KIAS FAST. WE WILL USE NO REVERSERS BECAUSE THE ENG PANELS ARE MISSING AND THAT WAS RECOMMENDED. THE CAPT BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON THE SITUATION AND A CABIN ADVISORY WAS DECLARED. WE THEN DECLARED AN EMER WITH APCH AND FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL APCH TO LNDG. WE THEN PULLED THE ACFT OFF ON A TXWY AND THE FIRE DEPT CHKED US OVER. WE THEN TAXIED IN AND SHUT DOWN NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE LATCHES MUST HAVE BEEN LEFT UNDONE BY MAINT THEN MISSED ON PREFLT. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT ALL 4 LATCHES FAILED AT ONCE. HE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY FOLLOW UP FROM HIS COMPANY.

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.