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An SF340 loses part of its cowling while in descent into mem. The PIC had preflted the aircraft on the ground previous to flight and had found nothing abnormal.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 402725 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 7500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | SF 340A |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | controller non radar : 15 controller radar : 15 flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 402725 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
May/sun/98, crew flew SF340 from monroe, la, to shreveport, la. I performed postflt inspection, all was good. Crew then flew from shreveport to memphis, 1 hour into this (our second leg) an aerodynamic cowling aft of spinner hub failed. Our flight attendant called the cockpit, she told me that a passenger noted a piece missing from the engine area (passenger was sitting in window seat next to the left engine). I looked back behind at engine. I saw part was attached and part was missing. Flight attendant said she heard or felt the part depart the engine just prior to calling. Our position was around 20-25 NM southwest of memphis below 8000 ft, being vectored for a visual approach to runway 36L. All engine parameters were normal and all flight characteristics normal. I declared an emergency, requested crash fire rescue equipment for our 17 passenger and 3 crew, called operations to inform them of our problem. We continued using left engine because all indications were normal, first officer's leg and landing. Landing was uneventful. In addition I made a passenger PA to calm any upset passenger. Upon deplaning they were very nice. Unsure of exact location of the piece that broke off 20-25 mi from memphis.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN SF340 LOSES PART OF ITS COWLING WHILE IN DSCNT INTO MEM. THE PIC HAD PREFLTED THE ACFT ON THE GND PREVIOUS TO FLT AND HAD FOUND NOTHING ABNORMAL.
Narrative: MAY/SUN/98, CREW FLEW SF340 FROM MONROE, LA, TO SHREVEPORT, LA. I PERFORMED POSTFLT INSPECTION, ALL WAS GOOD. CREW THEN FLEW FROM SHREVEPORT TO MEMPHIS, 1 HR INTO THIS (OUR SECOND LEG) AN AERODYNAMIC COWLING AFT OF SPINNER HUB FAILED. OUR FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT, SHE TOLD ME THAT A PAX NOTED A PIECE MISSING FROM THE ENG AREA (PAX WAS SITTING IN WINDOW SEAT NEXT TO THE L ENG). I LOOKED BACK BEHIND AT ENG. I SAW PART WAS ATTACHED AND PART WAS MISSING. FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE HEARD OR FELT THE PART DEPART THE ENG JUST PRIOR TO CALLING. OUR POS WAS AROUND 20-25 NM SW OF MEMPHIS BELOW 8000 FT, BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36L. ALL ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL AND ALL FLT CHARACTERISTICS NORMAL. I DECLARED AN EMER, REQUESTED CFR FOR OUR 17 PAX AND 3 CREW, CALLED OPS TO INFORM THEM OF OUR PROB. WE CONTINUED USING L ENG BECAUSE ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL, FO'S LEG AND LNDG. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. IN ADDITION I MADE A PAX PA TO CALM ANY UPSET PAX. UPON DEPLANING THEY WERE VERY NICE. UNSURE OF EXACT LOCATION OF THE PIECE THAT BROKE OFF 20-25 MI FROM MEMPHIS.
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.