Narrative:

We were preparing to depart for iah. The aircraft was boarded and the tug was connected. Aircraft logbook was signed off as having an 8 day check completed, both engine cowls opened and signed off as closed. I was checking in with the push tug driver while we were waiting for the flight attendants to complete their duties. The driver indicated that it appeared that the cowl latches on the #2 engine may not be latched. We called maintenance out to the aircraft and the technician did confirm that all 4 cowl latches were unsecured. The technician secured the latches, checked us over, assured us that this event was going to be a big topic in the maintenance department and we continued on our way without further incident. Maintenance obviously dropped the ball. I don't know what their procedures are so I can't address those. My first officer is brand new to the company, just over 100 hours on the inbound leg, a very experienced pilot furloughed from another major airline. He has a great attitude and is extremely sharp. He was both apologetic and embarrassed by his oversight. In talking about this incident over the next couple of days, it seemed to me that cowl latches were no longer the hot button issue in training that they were some yrs ago when the ZZZ incident was a more recent memory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 READY FOR PUSHBACK HAS TUG DRIVER ALERT CAPT OF R ENG COWLING LATCHES NOT LOCKED. SECURED PRIOR TO PUSHBACK.

Narrative: WE WERE PREPARING TO DEPART FOR IAH. THE ACFT WAS BOARDED AND THE TUG WAS CONNECTED. ACFT LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF AS HAVING AN 8 DAY CHK COMPLETED, BOTH ENG COWLS OPENED AND SIGNED OFF AS CLOSED. I WAS CHKING IN WITH THE PUSH TUG DRIVER WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO COMPLETE THEIR DUTIES. THE DRIVER INDICATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE COWL LATCHES ON THE #2 ENG MAY NOT BE LATCHED. WE CALLED MAINT OUT TO THE ACFT AND THE TECHNICIAN DID CONFIRM THAT ALL 4 COWL LATCHES WERE UNSECURED. THE TECHNICIAN SECURED THE LATCHES, CHKED US OVER, ASSURED US THAT THIS EVENT WAS GOING TO BE A BIG TOPIC IN THE MAINT DEPT AND WE CONTINUED ON OUR WAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MAINT OBVIOUSLY DROPPED THE BALL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR PROCS ARE SO I CAN'T ADDRESS THOSE. MY FO IS BRAND NEW TO THE COMPANY, JUST OVER 100 HRS ON THE INBOUND LEG, A VERY EXPERIENCED PLT FURLOUGHED FROM ANOTHER MAJOR AIRLINE. HE HAS A GREAT ATTITUDE AND IS EXTREMELY SHARP. HE WAS BOTH APOLOGETIC AND EMBARRASSED BY HIS OVERSIGHT. IN TALKING ABOUT THIS INCIDENT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, IT SEEMED TO ME THAT COWL LATCHES WERE NO LONGER THE HOT BUTTON ISSUE IN TRAINING THAT THEY WERE SOME YRS AGO WHEN THE ZZZ INCIDENT WAS A MORE RECENT MEMORY.

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.