Narrative:

After takeoff from runway 36L at memphis international airport the right outboard cowling popped open at about 400 ft AGL in climb out. I (the captain) was the PF and felt the aircraft start to vibrate. A quick scan of the instruments found no evidence of a problem so I looked out at the left side of the aircraft and all was normal. I asked the first officer to check his side and he said the outboard cowling had opened. We kept the aircraft at a low airspeed, compelted our climb checklist, then asked departure control for a return to the airport. We were given a 180 degree heading and 3000 ft altitude. We completed the cruise, top of descent, and approach checklists. We kept the gear up on downwind but had approach flaps extended due to our slow airspeed on the nacelle and this was successful. The flight attendant and company were notified of our planning to return to the gate. ATC notified us of our landing runway 36R at memphis and we were given clearance to 2000 ft. The right aircraft generator then failed. I would guess this to be from broken or bent cowling pieces chafing wires and lines inside the nacelle. The aircraft generator failure checklist was completed. We added 5 KTS to reference speed for safety and landed uneventfully. After engine shutdown at the gate maintenance was into the cowling before I could get out of the aircraft to see the cowling in its present form. A preflight and post-flight walk around was accomplished. During preflight 'all' cowling latches were visually inspected and appeared in place. Maintenance had just changed the oil filters on the right side so I looked at the right side latches myself. After talking with other pilots it is possible to have the latches closed but not securing the cowl. There have also been cases of cowl latch failure in the past with this particular aircraft light transport. According to our operations manual the flcs are prohibited from opening the engine cowlings. If we had been allowed to open the cowl, I would know definitely if the problem was latch failure or if the mechanic properly secured the cowl. I believe our operations manual should be changed as do our other flcs and the hatching system on these aircraft modified to prevent further occurrences. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he knows several other incidents within his company. He will encourage other pilots to file reports. Says he would sure like to figure some way to check with other commuters using this aircraft to see if they have same problem. Could we check with manufacturer? Told him unable for us to do so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT HAD ENG COWLING OPEN INFLT. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 36L AT MEMPHIS INTL ARPT THE R OUTBOARD COWLING POPPED OPEN AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL IN CLBOUT. I (THE CAPT) WAS THE PF AND FELT THE ACFT START TO VIBRATE. A QUICK SCAN OF THE INSTS FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A PROBLEM SO I LOOKED OUT AT THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND ALL WAS NORMAL. I ASKED THE FO TO CHK HIS SIDE AND HE SAID THE OUTBOARD COWLING HAD OPENED. WE KEPT THE ACFT AT A LOW AIRSPD, COMPELTED OUR CLB CHKLIST, THEN ASKED DEP CTL FOR A RETURN TO THE ARPT. WE WERE GIVEN A 180 DEG HDG AND 3000 FT ALT. WE COMPLETED THE CRUISE, TOP OF DSNT, AND APCH CHKLISTS. WE KEPT THE GEAR UP ON DOWNWIND BUT HAD APCH FLAPS EXTENDED DUE TO OUR SLOW AIRSPD ON THE NACELLE AND THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND COMPANY WERE NOTIFIED OF OUR PLANNING TO RETURN TO THE GATE. ATC NOTIFIED US OF OUR LNDG RWY 36R AT MEMPHIS AND WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO 2000 FT. THE R ACFT GENERATOR THEN FAILED. I WOULD GUESS THIS TO BE FROM BROKEN OR BENT COWLING PIECES CHAFING WIRES AND LINES INSIDE THE NACELLE. THE ACFT GENERATOR FAILURE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. WE ADDED 5 KTS TO REF SPD FOR SAFETY AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN AT THE GATE MAINT WAS INTO THE COWLING BEFORE I COULD GET OUT OF THE ACFT TO SEE THE COWLING IN ITS PRESENT FORM. A PREFLT AND POST-FLT WALK AROUND WAS ACCOMPLISHED. DURING PREFLT 'ALL' COWLING LATCHES WERE VISUALLY INSPECTED AND APPEARED IN PLACE. MAINT HAD JUST CHANGED THE OIL FILTERS ON THE R SIDE SO I LOOKED AT THE R SIDE LATCHES MYSELF. AFTER TALKING WITH OTHER PLTS IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE LATCHES CLOSED BUT NOT SECURING THE COWL. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN CASES OF COWL LATCH FAILURE IN THE PAST WITH THIS PARTICULAR ACFT LTT. ACCORDING TO OUR OPS MANUAL THE FLCS ARE PROHIBITED FROM OPENING THE ENG COWLINGS. IF WE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO OPEN THE COWL, I WOULD KNOW DEFINITELY IF THE PROBLEM WAS LATCH FAILURE OR IF THE MECH PROPERLY SECURED THE COWL. I BELIEVE OUR OPS MANUAL SHOULD BE CHANGED AS DO OUR OTHER FLCS AND THE HATCHING SYS ON THESE ACFT MODIFIED TO PREVENT FURTHER OCCURRENCES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE KNOWS SEVERAL OTHER INCIDENTS WITHIN HIS COMPANY. HE WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER PLTS TO FILE RPTS. SAYS HE WOULD SURE LIKE TO FIGURE SOME WAY TO CHK WITH OTHER COMMUTERS USING THIS ACFT TO SEE IF THEY HAVE SAME PROBLEM. COULD WE CHK WITH MANUFACTURER? TOLD HIM UNABLE FOR US TO DO SO.

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.