What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot stated the engine cowling came loose on takeoff and he made an emergency landing. The aircraft landed short of the runway and received substantial damage to the nose gear and left wing gear. There were minor injuries to the passenger. (.4) the pilot stated all cowling fasteners were secure during his preflight. After takeoff, the right side of the top cowling came 'straight up.' He turned to land on another runway and was 'trying to maintain enough [airspeed] to stay in the air, but not enough to tear off the cowling.' He lowered one notch of flaps and later reported, 'I ran out of lift.' The airplane landed hard off the intended runway then slid onto it; the top cowling separated on impact. He further stated the raised cowling created drag but did not interfere with his visibility; he did not apply full power to reduce the effects of the increase drag. He stated, 'I should have added more power', there was no problem with the engine. The lower half of the right forward side fastener was separated; but was found, and the wing fastener of the right aft side fastener was separated. Additionally, the attach structure of the right cowl pin was separated from the top cowling but was recovered from the accident site. The right cowl pin and pin bushing were worn but the IA indicated the wear was 'normal.' The top cowling is secured by 6 fasteners and 2 pins that attach to the top cowling and extend through a bushing that is affixed to the bottom cowling.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE COWLING CAME LOOSE ON TAKEOFF AND HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT WING GEAR. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES TO THE PASSENGER. (.4) THE PILOT STATED ALL COWLING FASTENERS WERE SECURE DURING HIS PREFLIGHT. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TOP COWLING CAME 'STRAIGHT UP.' HE TURNED TO LAND ON ANOTHER RUNWAY AND WAS 'TRYING TO MAINTAIN ENOUGH [AIRSPEED] TO STAY IN THE AIR, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO TEAR OFF THE COWLING.' HE LOWERED ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS AND LATER REPORTED, 'I RAN OUT OF LIFT.' THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD OFF THE INTENDED RUNWAY THEN SLID ONTO IT; THE TOP COWLING SEPARATED ON IMPACT. HE FURTHER STATED THE RAISED COWLING CREATED DRAG BUT DID NOT INTERFERE WITH HIS VISIBILITY; HE DID NOT APPLY FULL POWER TO REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF THE INCREASE DRAG. HE STATED, 'I SHOULD HAVE ADDED MORE POWER', THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. THE LOWER HALF OF THE RIGHT FORWARD SIDE FASTENER WAS SEPARATED; BUT WAS FOUND, AND THE WING FASTENER OF THE RIGHT AFT SIDE FASTENER WAS SEPARATED. ADDITIONALLY, THE ATTACH STRUCTURE OF THE RIGHT COWL PIN WAS SEPARATED FROM THE TOP COWLING BUT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE RIGHT COWL PIN AND PIN BUSHING WERE WORN BUT THE IA INDICATED THE WEAR WAS 'NORMAL.' THE TOP COWLING IS SECURED BY 6 FASTENERS AND 2 PINS THAT ATTACH TO THE TOP COWLING AND EXTEND THROUGH A BUSHING THAT IS AFFIXED TO THE BOTTOM COWLING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.