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Pilot loses piece of cowling through propeller, lands on lake, surveys damage and missing cowling, and propeller damage, and flies to home.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 314615 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199508 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : s88 |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Lake Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1250 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 314615 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Landed at arlington, wa (S88), for fuel. Opened cowling side doors, inspected engine, and closed doors. Departed S88 and after leveling off at 2000 ft, the right door on engine cowling opened, fluttered in windstream and ripped in half. A piece of the door, approximately 8 inches by 24 inches fell from the aircraft. Engine is pylon mounted and cannot be seen from cockpit. Flutter could be felt in aircraft controls. There was no change in engine instruments, made precautionary landing on lake stevens, discovered damage, removed remainder of door, and continued flight to lake sammamish home base for aircraft. Problem arose from cowling door latch coming loose, breaking, or from not being properly latched. Future preflts will require making sure latches are aligning correctly and secure. Aircraft damage was limited to small nick in propeller and loss of right cowling door. Propeller was removed for repair and cowling replaced.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT LOSES PIECE OF COWLING THROUGH PROP, LANDS ON LAKE, SURVEYS DAMAGE AND MISSING COWLING, AND PROP DAMAGE, AND FLIES TO HOME.
Narrative: LANDED AT ARLINGTON, WA (S88), FOR FUEL. OPENED COWLING SIDE DOORS, INSPECTED ENG, AND CLOSED DOORS. DEPARTED S88 AND AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 2000 FT, THE R DOOR ON ENG COWLING OPENED, FLUTTERED IN WINDSTREAM AND RIPPED IN HALF. A PIECE OF THE DOOR, APPROX 8 INCHES BY 24 INCHES FELL FROM THE ACFT. ENG IS PYLON MOUNTED AND CANNOT BE SEEN FROM COCKPIT. FLUTTER COULD BE FELT IN ACFT CTLS. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN ENG INSTS, MADE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON LAKE STEVENS, DISCOVERED DAMAGE, REMOVED REMAINDER OF DOOR, AND CONTINUED FLT TO LAKE SAMMAMISH HOME BASE FOR ACFT. PROB AROSE FROM COWLING DOOR LATCH COMING LOOSE, BREAKING, OR FROM NOT BEING PROPERLY LATCHED. FUTURE PREFLTS WILL REQUIRE MAKING SURE LATCHES ARE ALIGNING CORRECTLY AND SECURE. ACFT DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO SMALL NICK IN PROP AND LOSS OF R COWLING DOOR. PROP WAS REMOVED FOR REPAIR AND COWLING REPLACED.
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.