An embraer 120 at 11000 ft on arrival route declared an emergency due to the left engine cowling com...

Attributes
ACN	380421
Time
Date	199709
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	380421
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Experienced large jolt while level at 11000 ft approximately 230 KIAS on the arrival STAR. All engine parameters were normal and no door lights illuminated. Flight attendant said left engine was hit by something. A large section of left engine cowling was warped and sticking straight up. We declared emergency and landed on atl runway 9R without event. Maintenance said we did not hit anything, but cowl latches were sheared off. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the damaged cowling was checked by maintenance and the latches were found locked except for one latch which was sheared from the cowling. The reporter also related the fact that this incident of cowlings opening in flight has occurred three times preceding this event. The reporter said the latches gave every indication of being locked as an unlocked or false locked latch would not fair with the cowlings.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 120 AT 11000 FT ON ARR RTE DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO THE L ENG COWLING COMING OPEN.

Narrative: EXPERIENCED LARGE JOLT WHILE LEVEL AT 11000 FT APPROX 230 KIAS ON THE ARR STAR. ALL ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL AND NO DOOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. FLT ATTENDANT SAID L ENG WAS HIT BY SOMETHING. A LARGE SECTION OF L ENG COWLING WAS WARPED AND STICKING STRAIGHT UP. WE DECLARED EMER AND LANDED ON ATL RWY 9R WITHOUT EVENT. MAINT SAID WE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, BUT COWL LATCHES WERE SHEARED OFF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE DAMAGED COWLING WAS CHECKED BY MAINT AND THE LATCHES WERE FOUND LOCKED EXCEPT FOR ONE LATCH WHICH WAS SHEARED FROM THE COWLING. THE RPTR ALSO RELATED THE FACT THAT THIS INCIDENT OF COWLINGS OPENING IN FLT HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES PRECEDING THIS EVENT. THE RPTR SAID THE LATCHES GAVE EVERY INDICATION OF BEING LOCKED AS AN UNLOCKED OR FALSE LOCKED LATCH WOULD NOT FAIR WITH THE COWLINGS.

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.

An embraer 120 at 11000 ft on arrival route declared an emergency due to the left engine cowling coming open.