# Accident 20000612012069A: Airbus A320232, Las Vegas, NV, June 12, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 12, 2000, 13:33 local time
- Place: Las Vegas, NV
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: AWXA
- Location: 36.2509° N, 115.0408° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2509&lon=-115.0408&mi=10
- Aircraft: N655AW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N655AW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Airbus Industrie A320-232 (registry code 3930326, https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a320-232) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: IAE V2500SERIES (registry code 34601, https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2500series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRBUS A320232
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA223](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA223) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000612012069A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX00LA223](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA223), Jun 12, 2000: Airbus Industrie A320-232 (N655AW), Las Vegas, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the mechanic to refasten the cowling door prior to returning the aircraft to service.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.