What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) 6/12/00 At 1310 hours PDT, an Airbus A320-232, N655AW, was substantially damaged when the engine cowling separated and struck the horizontal stabilizer during takeoff at mc carran international airport, Las Vegas, NV. The ATP certified pilot, the second pilot, 3 flight attendants and 47 passengers were not injured. The a/c was operated by west airlines, inc. under 14 CFR part 121 as flight 2747, a regularly scheduled passenger flight, destined for columbus, OH. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was operating on an instrument flight plan. The pilot reported there had been an abnormal vibration as the a/c accelerated through take off decision speed (V1). Several passengers pressed their flight attendent call buttons and alerted the flight attendants who in-turn reported the cowling separation to the cockpit crew. The return for landing at the airport was uneventful. The a/c was taxied to the terminal gate and the passengers deplaned normally. The outboard, forward cowl door on the left (number 1) engine had separated from the engine nacelle. There was a 10-inch cut through the landing gear (strut) door and there were 3 holes in the lower surface of th e left stabilizer, each approx 2 inches wide and 8 inches long. The cowling door hold-open rod penetrated the lower skin and aft spar web of the horizontal stabilizer. There is one indentation of the #1 flap bearing canoe that is 6 inches by 3 inches of crushed honeycomb. The opposite (right-hand) cowl door and the "bull nose", where the 2 door hinges at the 12 o'clock position, were damaged but remained attached to the nacelle. The cowl door over-center type latches on the inboard door were found latched, however, the hooks were intact and undamaged. Similarly, the latch receptacles on the outboard door were visibly undamaged. The latches were painted red. The a/c remained overnight in Las Vegas and an "ron-check" (remain over night) had been performed during hours of darkness. The ron-check required that the cowlind doors be opened. In the morning, the a/c was handed over from the maintenance grave shift to day shift. Maintenance items remained to be completed in areas of a/c other than the number 1 engine. The takeoff where the cowling separated was the first flight following return to service.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) 6/12/00 AT 1310 HOURS PDT, AN AIRBUS A320-232, N655AW, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE ENGINE COWLING SEPARATED AND STRUCK THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER DURING TAKEOFF AT MC CARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LAS VEGAS, NV. THE ATP CERTIFIED PILOT, THE SECOND PILOT, 3 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND 47 PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE A/C WAS OPERATED BY WEST AIRLINES, INC. UNDER 14 CFR PART 121 AS FLIGHT 2747, A REGULARLY SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT, DESTINED FOR COLUMBUS, OH. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT REPORTED THERE HAD BEEN AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION AS THE A/C ACCELERATED THROUGH TAKE OFF DECISION SPEED (V1). SEVERAL PASSENGERS PRESSED THEIR FLIGHT ATTENDENT CALL BUTTONS AND ALERTED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO IN-TURN REPORTED THE COWLING SEPARATION TO THE COCKPIT CREW. THE RETURN FOR LANDING AT THE AIRPORT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE A/C WAS TAXIED TO THE TERMINAL GATE AND THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED NORMALLY. THE OUTBOARD, FORWARD COWL DOOR ON THE LEFT (NUMBER 1) ENGINE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE NACELLE. THERE WAS A 10-INCH CUT THROUGH THE LANDING GEAR (STRUT) DOOR AND THERE WERE 3 HOLES IN THE LOWER SURFACE OF TH E LEFT STABILIZER, EACH APPROX 2 INCHES WIDE AND 8 INCHES LONG. THE COWLING DOOR HOLD-OPEN ROD PENETRATED THE LOWER SKIN AND AFT SPAR WEB OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THERE IS ONE INDENTATION OF THE #1 FLAP BEARING CANOE THAT IS 6 INCHES BY 3 INCHES OF CRUSHED HONEYCOMB. THE OPPOSITE (RIGHT-HAND) COWL DOOR AND THE "BULL NOSE", WHERE THE 2 DOOR HINGES AT THE 12 O'CLOCK POSITION, WERE DAMAGED BUT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE NACELLE. THE COWL DOOR OVER-CENTER TYPE LATCHES ON THE INBOARD DOOR WERE FOUND LATCHED, HOWEVER, THE HOOKS WERE INTACT AND UNDAMAGED. SIMILARLY, THE LATCH RECEPTACLES ON THE OUTBOARD DOOR WERE VISIBLY UNDAMAGED. THE LATCHES WERE PAINTED RED. THE A/C REMAINED OVERNIGHT IN LAS VEGAS AND AN "RON-CHECK" (REMAIN OVER NIGHT) HAD BEEN PERFORMED DURING HOURS OF DARKNESS. THE RON-CHECK REQUIRED THAT THE COWLIND DOORS BE OPENED. IN THE MORNING, THE A/C WAS HANDED OVER FROM THE MAINTENANCE GRAVE SHIFT TO DAY SHIFT. MAINTENANCE ITEMS REMAINED TO BE COMPLETED IN AREAS OF A/C OTHER THAN THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE. THE TAKEOFF WHERE THE COWLING SEPARATED WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING RETURN TO SERVICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.