Narrative:

Upon reaching airport I discussed central warning computer write up with captain coming off duty from aircraft I was receiving. Checked WX signed in signed release etc. Talked with maintenance to try to find out status of fixing airplane. Proceeded on board and conducted cockpit inspection while maintenance released airplane for service. Everything proceeded as normal through departure until approximately 5000' MSL when F/a called cockpit. She said left inboard cowling was open. Upon visibility check from cockpit I could see the rear portion was open about 6' and front about 2'. Propeller wash was keeping it from completely opening--both latches were in open position. First officer was flying this leg and I let him continue so I could keep an eye on the situation outside. We notified approach that we wanted to return to msp and called company to explain situation. Did an ILS approach to 11L msp. WX was 400' overcast with 2 1/2 mi visibility fog. Did not declare emergency or request equipment. Landed normally and as soon as first officer came below flight idle with some beta, the cowling came open completely. At about 30 KTS it closed again. We taxied in and wrote up in maintenance log the incident and requested inspection of cowling. Upon examination, maintenance discovered 3 broken ribs and numerous popped rivets inside (no doubt caused when cowling slammed open on runway). Upon discussion of incident with first officer he remembered that he had been interrupted during preflight while cowling was open. A new light transport first officer came up and asked him how to get gear doors open more easily. After their discussion he apparently failed to latch cowling and continued with remaining preflight. I normally always double check first officer after their preflight and make sure panels/cowlings and tires are ok. This day I didn't because I was involved with the warning computer problem which was a perpetual problem with both of our light transport's over the past 30 days. I was debating on whether or not to accept the maintenance release of the airplane for service. F/a said that as we pulled into position on runway that a man in xx was trying to get her attention, but she didn't know what he wanted and takeoff was imminent, so she couldn't get up out of her seat to go talk to him. He saw cowling was unlatched, but was unable to relay it to her until after departure. I was an first officer for 2 yrs and have been captain for 1 yr. In this time I have found 3 oil caps left off, numerous fuel panels open or left on, numerous lav drain/service panels left open. Ticket jacket wrapped around compressor blades and barely visible with flashlight in daytime, numerous low or flat tires, owl wing in bird catcher with feathers wrapped around compressor/stator blades on O2 access panel left open after servicing. Analysis: there are too many others out there who can make your day difficult. Don't do it to yourself. Be thorough, always double check, don't assume, and if distracted, back up to what you know you completed and proceed from there.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LEFT INBOARD ENGINE COWLING OPEN INFLT. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: UPON REACHING ARPT I DISCUSSED CENTRAL WARNING COMPUTER WRITE UP WITH CAPT COMING OFF DUTY FROM ACFT I WAS RECEIVING. CHKED WX SIGNED IN SIGNED RELEASE ETC. TALKED WITH MAINT TO TRY TO FIND OUT STATUS OF FIXING AIRPLANE. PROCEEDED ON BOARD AND CONDUCTED COCKPIT INSPECTION WHILE MAINT RELEASED AIRPLANE FOR SVC. EVERYTHING PROCEEDED AS NORMAL THROUGH DEP UNTIL APPROX 5000' MSL WHEN F/A CALLED COCKPIT. SHE SAID LEFT INBOARD COWLING WAS OPEN. UPON VIS CHK FROM COCKPIT I COULD SEE THE REAR PORTION WAS OPEN ABOUT 6' AND FRONT ABOUT 2'. PROP WASH WAS KEEPING IT FROM COMPLETELY OPENING--BOTH LATCHES WERE IN OPEN POS. F/O WAS FLYING THIS LEG AND I LET HIM CONTINUE SO I COULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE SITUATION OUTSIDE. WE NOTIFIED APCH THAT WE WANTED TO RETURN TO MSP AND CALLED COMPANY TO EXPLAIN SITUATION. DID AN ILS APCH TO 11L MSP. WX WAS 400' OVCST WITH 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY FOG. DID NOT DECLARE EMER OR REQUEST EQUIP. LANDED NORMALLY AND AS SOON AS F/O CAME BELOW FLT IDLE WITH SOME BETA, THE COWLING CAME OPEN COMPLETELY. AT ABOUT 30 KTS IT CLOSED AGAIN. WE TAXIED IN AND WROTE UP IN MAINT LOG THE INCIDENT AND REQUESTED INSPECTION OF COWLING. UPON EXAMINATION, MAINT DISCOVERED 3 BROKEN RIBS AND NUMEROUS POPPED RIVETS INSIDE (NO DOUBT CAUSED WHEN COWLING SLAMMED OPEN ON RWY). UPON DISCUSSION OF INCIDENT WITH F/O HE REMEMBERED THAT HE HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED DURING PREFLT WHILE COWLING WAS OPEN. A NEW LTT F/O CAME UP AND ASKED HIM HOW TO GET GEAR DOORS OPEN MORE EASILY. AFTER THEIR DISCUSSION HE APPARENTLY FAILED TO LATCH COWLING AND CONTINUED WITH REMAINING PREFLT. I NORMALLY ALWAYS DOUBLE CHK F/O AFTER THEIR PREFLT AND MAKE SURE PANELS/COWLINGS AND TIRES ARE OK. THIS DAY I DIDN'T BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE WARNING COMPUTER PROB WHICH WAS A PERPETUAL PROB WITH BOTH OF OUR LTT'S OVER THE PAST 30 DAYS. I WAS DEBATING ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCEPT THE MAINT RELEASE OF THE AIRPLANE FOR SVC. F/A SAID THAT AS WE PULLED INTO POS ON RWY THAT A MAN IN XX WAS TRYING TO GET HER ATTN, BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WANTED AND TKOF WAS IMMINENT, SO SHE COULDN'T GET UP OUT OF HER SEAT TO GO TALK TO HIM. HE SAW COWLING WAS UNLATCHED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RELAY IT TO HER UNTIL AFTER DEP. I WAS AN F/O FOR 2 YRS AND HAVE BEEN CAPT FOR 1 YR. IN THIS TIME I HAVE FOUND 3 OIL CAPS LEFT OFF, NUMEROUS FUEL PANELS OPEN OR LEFT ON, NUMEROUS LAV DRAIN/SVC PANELS LEFT OPEN. TICKET JACKET WRAPPED AROUND COMPRESSOR BLADES AND BARELY VISIBLE WITH FLASHLIGHT IN DAYTIME, NUMEROUS LOW OR FLAT TIRES, OWL WING IN BIRD CATCHER WITH FEATHERS WRAPPED AROUND COMPRESSOR/STATOR BLADES ON O2 ACCESS PANEL LEFT OPEN AFTER SERVICING. ANALYSIS: THERE ARE TOO MANY OTHERS OUT THERE WHO CAN MAKE YOUR DAY DIFFICULT. DON'T DO IT TO YOURSELF. BE THOROUGH, ALWAYS DOUBLE CHK, DON'T ASSUME, AND IF DISTRACTED, BACK UP TO WHAT YOU KNOW YOU COMPLETED AND PROCEED FROM THERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.