What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-5)PIC unlatched the RH engine cowling in preparation to show the co-pilot how to do a more thorough pre-flight inspection. He was distracted by a call to the FBO and then his passengers arrived and he forgot to relatch the engine cowling. Upon takeoff the cowling opened and was noticed by a crew in an aircraft on the taxiway waiting to depart, who radioed the tower about the open cowl. Tower contacted subject aircraft and a return to the airport was requested. An emergency was declared in order to expedite the return to the airport rather than being vectored around for an approach. Landing was normal and aircraft taxied back to the FBO to assess the situation and determine extent of damage to cowling area.
As the FAA filed it
(-5)PIC UNLATCHED THE RH ENGINE COWLING IN PREPARATION TO SHOW THE CO-PILOT HOW TO DO A MORE THOROUGH PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION. HE WAS DISTRACTED BY A CALL TO THE FBO AND THEN HIS PASSENGERS ARRIVED AND HE FORGOT TO RELATCH THE ENGINE COWLING. UPON TAKEOFF THE COWLING OPENED AND WAS NOTICED BY A CREW IN AN AIRCRAFT ON THE TAXIWAY WAITING TO DEPART, WHO RADIOED THE TOWER ABOUT THE OPEN COWL. TOWER CONTACTED SUBJECT AIRCRAFT AND A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WAS REQUESTED. AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE THE RETURN TO THE AIRPORT RATHER THAN BEING VECTORED AROUND FOR AN APPROACH. LANDING WAS NORMAL AND AIRCRAFT TAXIED BACK TO THE FBO TO ASSESS THE SITUATION AND DETERMINE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO COWLING AREA.