Air carrier flight crew has #2 cowling latches fail during descent.

Attributes
ACN	331260
Time
Date	199603
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah tower : hou
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 6500
ASRS Report	331260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	330763
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

#2 engine cowling came unsecured. Supplemental information from acn 330763: at approximately 8 mi northwest of hou airport during descent, flight crew heard 3 mild bangs at approximately 1 second intervals. Then noise stopped. Up to that point and after noise stopped, flight was normal. During taxi in at hou, FAA inspectors spotted that #2 cowling was unsecured. FAA met and questioned crew if we preflted aircraft at dfw and questioned if cowling was secured at dfw. Mechanic inspected cowling and suspected latch failure due to the position of the bent latches.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC HAS #2 COWLING LATCHES FAIL DURING DSCNT.

Narrative: #2 ENG COWLING CAME UNSECURED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 330763: AT APPROX 8 MI NW OF HOU ARPT DURING DSCNT, FLC HEARD 3 MILD BANGS AT APPROX 1 SECOND INTERVALS. THEN NOISE STOPPED. UP TO THAT POINT AND AFTER NOISE STOPPED, FLT WAS NORMAL. DURING TAXI IN AT HOU, FAA INSPECTORS SPOTTED THAT #2 COWLING WAS UNSECURED. FAA MET AND QUESTIONED CREW IF WE PREFLTED ACFT AT DFW AND QUESTIONED IF COWLING WAS SECURED AT DFW. MECH INSPECTED COWLING AND SUSPECTED LATCH FAILURE DUE TO THE POS OF THE BENT LATCHES.

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.