Narrative:

I departed at approximately xa:47. Was VFR to my mountain destination. Had turned north so I could climb to 14;500 MSL. Turned north to parallel the mountains. Was talking to center and obtained a squawk code for VFR flight following. Reaching my cruising altitude I headed direct to my destination. Had just crossed the divide of the mountains. Heard a loud 'pop' and the left side cowling popped open. This got my full and undivided attention. I immediately declared an emergency with ATC. The controller asked the nature of the emergency and what I wanted to do. I had already gotten the nearest airport up on my hand held garmin GPS 496. The airport was closed to lengthen the runway. I asked the controller for the nearest airport and radar vectors. He gave me the same one that my garmin found and a vector for the airport. He later came back to me with the airport being closed and the next nearest airport was another 25 miles away. I declined this and told him I was going to put the plane down. The controller worked on the phone with the airport manager to clear equipment from the runway to allow me to have about 2400 ft for landing. I made a safe landing with no further damage to persons or property. With the cowling flying in the relative wind; I had pulled the power back. Had set up more or less 'best glide' speed and was descending. The cowling had started to buckle some. The frame that it is spot welded and riveted to had started to tear. Everything I had ever read said that no cowling had ever departed a bonanza in flight; but I was pretty well convinced that I was about to be the first. And my fear was what it would do to the tail section should it depart the aircraft. That is would hit the vertical and/or horizontal stabilizer. And at that point I might become something of an experimental test pilot. A job I was not qualified for. I had gotten the plane back from it's annual 10 days earlier. After the incident a couple of people mentioned to me that I had expressed 'uneasy feelings' about the plane. One of the things the a&P/ia and I had talked about before the annual was completed; was a relatively minor incident of the cowling coming open in december of 2008. I believe that the cowl latch is/was worn. I think that it is hard to detect. And that the procedure for checking it does not insure that it will not come open. That in the right flight regimen there is more pressure put on the cowling from the inside out; which possibly caused; or causes; it to slip out of the latched position. I am beyond certain that I closed it properly and checked that is was closed properly. I do not think it defective. I do believe that over time it had gotten out of adjustment. And therefore was not as 'tight' as it should be. It had gotten to a point where it did not 'feel' as secure as the right side cowling. I inquired again when I picked the plane up after annual. I was assured that it was ok. And if closed properly; would stay closed. The only thing I can think of that was different about this flight was that I climbed at a much higher angle of attack then is normal for me. Most of the climb to 14;500 was at vy or about 96 KTS IAS. After landing I immediately called FSS and asked them to call center to tell them I was on the ground without further incident. A couple of hours later I received a phone call from the FAA FSDO. He asked a lot of questions. One of them was what was the date of my last 3rd class medical. When I looked at the certificate I realized that it was out of date by 2 months. I did not answer his question about the date of my last medical. And he never asked the question the second time. First I admit to remembering the rules before I was over 40; of a physical every 3 years. And it slipped up on me that it was now due. The last physical I had the AME pointed out that I was a year early and did not really need it. We did it anyway; as I was already in his office. This past spring my father had a stroke. In some ways life; other then my father; went on hold. And it just completely slipped my mind. I have an appointment for a physical and will complete that within the week.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE33's left side engine cowl popped open in flight. The pilot declared an emergency and diverted to a nearby airport when he landed with the cowling attached but damaged.

Narrative: I departed at approximately XA:47. Was VFR to my mountain destination. Had turned North so I could climb to 14;500 MSL. Turned North to parallel the mountains. Was talking to Center and obtained a squawk code for VFR flight following. Reaching my cruising altitude I headed direct to my destination. Had just crossed the Divide of the mountains. Heard a loud 'pop' and the left side cowling popped open. This got my full and undivided attention. I immediately declared an emergency with ATC. The Controller asked the nature of the emergency and what I wanted to do. I had already gotten the Nearest Airport up on my hand held Garmin GPS 496. The airport was closed to lengthen the runway. I asked the Controller for the nearest airport and radar vectors. He gave me the same one that my Garmin found and a vector for the airport. He later came back to me with the airport being closed and the next nearest airport was another 25 miles away. I declined this and told him I was going to put the plane down. The Controller worked on the phone with the airport manager to clear equipment from the runway to allow me to have about 2400 FT for landing. I made a safe landing with no further damage to persons or property. With the cowling flying in the relative wind; I had pulled the power back. Had set up more or less 'best glide' speed and was descending. The cowling had started to buckle some. The frame that it is spot welded and riveted to had started to tear. Everything I had ever read said that no cowling had ever departed a Bonanza in flight; but I was pretty well convinced that I was about to be the first. And my fear was what it would do to the tail section should it depart the aircraft. That is would hit the vertical and/or horizontal stabilizer. And at that point I might become something of an experimental test pilot. A job I was not qualified for. I had gotten the plane back from it's annual 10 days earlier. After the incident a couple of people mentioned to me that I had expressed 'uneasy feelings' about the plane. One of the things the A&P/IA and I had talked about before the annual was completed; was a relatively minor incident of the cowling coming open in December of 2008. I believe that the cowl latch is/was worn. I think that it is hard to detect. And that the procedure for checking it does not insure that it will not come open. That in the right flight regimen there is more pressure put on the cowling from the inside out; which possibly caused; or causes; it to slip out of the latched position. I am beyond certain that I closed it properly and checked that is was closed properly. I do not think it defective. I do believe that over time it had gotten out of adjustment. And therefore was not as 'tight' as it should be. It had gotten to a point where it did not 'feel' as secure as the right side cowling. I inquired again when I picked the plane up after annual. I was assured that it was OK. And if closed properly; would stay closed. The only thing I can think of that was different about this flight was that I climbed at a much higher angle of attack then is normal for me. Most of the climb to 14;500 was at Vy or about 96 KTS IAS. After landing I immediately called FSS and asked them to call Center to tell them I was on the ground without further incident. A couple of hours later I received a phone call from the FAA FSDO. He asked a lot of questions. One of them was what was the date of my last 3rd class medical. When I looked at the certificate I realized that it was out of date by 2 months. I did Not answer his question about the date of my last medical. And he never asked the question the second time. First I admit to remembering the rules before I was over 40; of a physical every 3 years. And it slipped up on me that it was now due. The last physical I had the AME pointed out that I was a year early and did not really need it. We did it anyway; as I was already in his office. This past spring my father had a stroke. In some ways life; other then my father; went on hold. And it just completely slipped my mind. I have an appointment for a physical and will complete that within the week.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.