A north american T-6 in cruise at 2800 ft AGL declared an emergency and diverted due to the engine cowling departing the aircraft caused by failed rivets.

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Attributes
ACN	487067
Time
Date	200009
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5c1.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 2800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Texan T6 Harvard
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	487067
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

On second training flight of the day, the modified T-6 was gently nosed over to 180 KTS when the cowling detached from the aft. The bottom section lodged on the right leading edge of the wing. A mayday was declared when the drag disrupted right elevator control to the point a normal landing was questionable. After ATC vector to sci a normal landing followed without further damage. It was found that a rivet line had failed allowing the cowling to shift enough to tear out the zeus fasteners and fail. A bolt has been added to prevent the movement of the cowling in the future. The cowling was not a stock T-6 part.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NORTH AMERICAN T-6 IN CRUISE AT 2800 FT AGL DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE ENG COWLING DEPARTING THE ACFT CAUSED BY FAILED RIVETS.

Narrative: ON SECOND TRAINING FLT OF THE DAY, THE MODIFIED T-6 WAS GENTLY NOSED OVER TO 180 KTS WHEN THE COWLING DETACHED FROM THE AFT. THE BOTTOM SECTION LODGED ON THE R LEADING EDGE OF THE WING. A MAYDAY WAS DECLARED WHEN THE DRAG DISRUPTED R ELEVATOR CTL TO THE POINT A NORMAL LNDG WAS QUESTIONABLE. AFTER ATC VECTOR TO SCI A NORMAL LNDG FOLLOWED WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE. IT WAS FOUND THAT A RIVET LINE HAD FAILED ALLOWING THE COWLING TO SHIFT ENOUGH TO TEAR OUT THE ZEUS FASTENERS AND FAIL. A BOLT HAS BEEN ADDED TO PREVENT THE MOVEMENT OF THE COWLING IN THE FUTURE. THE COWLING WAS NOT A STOCK T-6 PART.

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.