20040713030279I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airbus A320-233 · Atlanta, GA · July 13, 2004

Date: July 13, 2004 · 11:40 local
Place: Atlanta, GA
Airport: The William B Hartsfield Atla
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: RYNA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N951LF
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL04IA156
Reported as: Airbus A320233
Reported engine: IAE V2527EA5
People aboard: 110
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,800 total730 in this make and model159 in the last 90 days

N951LFRegistration cancelled Mar 19, 2014 · Airbus Industrie A320-233S/N 460 Airframe modelAirbus Industrie A320-233 Engine modelIAE V2527-A5Turbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Per pilot line report (on take-off, a passenger notified a flight attendant that something had come off of the #1 engine. The flight attendant notified the PIC, he asked the flight attendant to verify this. During this time, the PIC felt a shudder in the aircraft he called to atl and requested to land. Then the #1 engine instruments flashed amber and all indications went back to normal except for #1 engine oil quantity. The PIC declared an emergency and the aircraft landed without further incident). Aviation safety inspector was informed that the #1 engine cowling departed the aircraft. The outboard cowling was broken into at least four pieces, three of the sections of cowling were found on the Atlanta airport. The inboard engine cowling was found off the airport in a residential area in union city ga. Preliminary investigation has found that a maintenance technician opened and closed the #1 engine cowling and failed to latch the cowling.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PER PILOT LINE REPORT (ON TAKE-OFF, A PASSENGER NOTIFIED A FLIGHT ATTENDANT THAT SOMETHING HAD COME OFF OF THE #1 ENGINE. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED THE PIC, HE ASKED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO VERIFY THIS. DURING THIS TIME, THE PIC FELT A SHUDDER IN THE AIRCRAFT HE CALLED TO ATL AND REQUESTED TO LAND. THEN THE #1 ENGINE INSTRUMENTS FLASHED AMBER AND ALL INDICATIONS WENT BACK TO NORMAL EXCEPT FOR #1 ENGINE OIL QUANTITY. THE PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT). AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR WAS INFORMED THAT THE #1 ENGINE COWLING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE OUTBOARD COWLING WAS BROKEN INTO AT LEAST FOUR PIECES, THREE OF THE SECTIONS OF COWLING WERE FOUND ON THE ATLANTA AIRPORT. THE INBOARD ENGINE COWLING WAS FOUND OFF THE AIRPORT IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA IN UNION CITY GA. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND THAT A MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN OPENED AND CLOSED THE #1 ENGINE COWLING AND FAILED TO LATCH THE 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.

NTSB ATL04IA156Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportAtlanta, GAThe failure of company maintenance personnel to secure the nacelle/cowl doors, which resulted in a separation of the doors during takeoff initial climb.Jul 13, 2004 · Minor damage