20020625035959A

(-23) Right side of engine cowling separated from the aircraft in flight. The dipstick was also lost resultin in oil being scavenged from the engine. Oil completely covered the windscreen restricting the pilot forward visibility. The pilot made an emergency landing following verbal directions from a circling U.S. Coast guard helicopter. (-23 amendment) after lab was not successful obtaining information from the new Piper aircraft company (npac) regarding cowling repair, they asked if their principal airworthiness inspector david frederick could attempt t get the information they were looking for. Inspector frederick was given a telephone number for flightcraft in eugene, Oregon. Mr. John pleskovitch is the tech rep for npac. Inspector frederick contacted him regarding the information, and he said he could have the information for inspector frederick in a couple of days. Inspector frederick was faxed two sheets, one dated 4/27/98 from npac to Mr. Pleskovitch, and the cover sheet with a hand written message from Mr. Pleskovitch. The sheet from npac to Mr. Pleskovitch states, in part, that npac only recommends replacement of damaged parts with new a pproved parts...we cannot approve any repair scheme to our parts or aircraft...however, you may exercise your option of using ac 43.13A repair manual. The handwritten note from Mr. Pleskovitch states that no scheme exists for replacing the pins and brackets that line up the cowling and also assist in holding the upper and lower section of the cowling together. Subsequent inspections of the operator have observed the repair of the cowling and other fiberglass repairs on one of the PA-32 aircraft, 85X. The repairs seem be be done according to ac 43.131B and normal practices. (.4) on June 25, 2002, about 1145 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300 airplane, N2947N, sustained substantial damage when it encountered soft sandy terrain during an emergency landing on a beach about 10 miles southeast of Kake, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled passenger flight under title 14, CFR part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by l a b flying service inc., haines, Alaska, as flight 523. The commercial pilot received minor injuries, two passengers received minor injuries, and the three other passengers were no t injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company VFR flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at Kake, about 1129, and was bound for petersburg, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (iic) on June 25, the director of maintenance for the operator said the accident airplane was in cruise flight when the upper engine cowling separated from the airplane. He said he believed the wind passing over the open engine compartment extracted the engine oil dipstick, which also departed the airplane. He said oil siphoned from the dipstick tube covered the windscreen, and the pilot declared an emergency. A u. s. coast guard helicopter flying in the area joined up with the accident airplane in-flight, and directed the pilot to a sandy beach suitable for an emergency landing. During landing, the nose wheel sank into the soft sand and collapsed, damaging the airplane's firewall. During a telephone conversation with the iic on July 8, the director of maintenance said the airplane's damaged firewall would have to be replaced. In a written statement to the NTSB, the pilot reported that he believed the engine cowling separation from the airplane was the result of a bird strike. None of the individuals previously interviewed during the course of the investigation mentioned a bird strike. A report issued by the FAA aviation safety inspector, who examined the accident airplane, noted that the upper cowling assembly was missing except for a full length section from the left side approximately 10 inches wide. The report further noted significant wear patterns on the right-side lower cowling receptacles, at the points where the upper cowling latch levers contacted the receptacles.