A piper PA31 pilot, on climb at 1100 ft reported the right engine cowling departed the aircraft. A ground witness reported seeing a bird strike the airplane.

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Attributes
ACN	600948
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 129.3 flight time total : 5357.4 flight time type : 107.9
ASRS Report	600948
Person 2
Function	observation : observer other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : birds other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : person 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

After departure from ZZZ at approximately XA20, turning on right downwind for right downwind departure, the right engine nacelle departed the aircraft. Returned to land runway 35L at ZZZ with no further incident. I did not see what caused the separation, but upon landing, a witness called the airport and reported seeing the aircraft hit a bird. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the engine cowling on the left and right appeared secure during the preflight inspection with no obvious defects. The reporter said nothing was seen but did hear a noise and the cowling was gone. The reporter stated on the ground a phone call was made to the office by someone reporting seeing a bird strike a small twin engine airplane, and a part fall off. The reporter said a postflt inspection was made revealing the right horizontal stabilizer was struck by the departed cowling.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA31 PLT, ON CLB AT 1100 FT RPTED THE R ENG COWLING DEPARTED THE ACFT. A GND WITNESS RPTED SEEING A BIRD STRIKE THE AIRPLANE.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM ZZZ AT APPROX XA20, TURNING ON R DOWNWIND FOR R DOWNWIND DEP, THE R ENG NACELLE DEPARTED THE ACFT. RETURNED TO LAND RWY 35L AT ZZZ WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I DID NOT SEE WHAT CAUSED THE SEPARATION, BUT UPON LNDG, A WITNESS CALLED THE ARPT AND RPTED SEEING THE ACFT HIT A BIRD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ENG COWLING ON THE L AND R APPEARED SECURE DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION WITH NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS. THE RPTR SAID NOTHING WAS SEEN BUT DID HEAR A NOISE AND THE COWLING WAS GONE. THE RPTR STATED ON THE GND A PHONE CALL WAS MADE TO THE OFFICE BY SOMEONE RPTING SEEING A BIRD STRIKE A SMALL TWIN ENG AIRPLANE, AND A PART FALL OFF. THE RPTR SAID A POSTFLT INSPECTION WAS MADE REVEALING THE R HORIZ STABILIZER WAS STRUCK BY THE DEPARTED COWLING.

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.