What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Flight plan Springfield, IL to dayton, OH. Once inside the Indiana state line, indianapolis, low altitude ATC vectored aircraft 15 degrees right to clear weather and cleared the aircraft to descend from 27000 to 24000 ft. shortly thereafter the crew heard a loud bang but continued their descent. The crew checked all instrumentation and flight controls and observed nothing out of the ordinary. Crew elected to return to Springfield, IL. An uneventful landing was made. After landing it was discovered that the entire wrap around cowling for the left engine had separated the aircraft causing significant damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, primary engine fuel line, and upper cowling attach points. Minor damage was found on the left hand side of the vertical stabilizer and the empennage aft of the left engine.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) FLIGHT PLAN SPRINGFIELD, IL TO DAYTON, OH. ONCE INSIDE THE INDIANA STATE LINE, INDIANAPOLIS, LOW ALTITUDE ATC VECTORED AIRCRAFT 15 DEGREES RIGHT TO CLEAR WEATHER AND CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND FROM 27000 TO 24000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CREW HEARD A LOUD BANG BUT CONTINUED THEIR DESCENT. THE CREW CHECKED ALL INSTRUMENTATION AND FLIGHT CONTROLS AND OBSERVED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. CREW ELECTED TO RETURN TO SPRINGFIELD, IL. AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE. AFTER LANDING IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE WRAP AROUND COWLING FOR THE LEFT ENGINE HAD SEPARATED THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, PRIMARY ENGINE FUEL LINE, AND UPPER COWLING ATTACH POINTS. MINOR DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE EMPENNAGE AFT OF THE LEFT ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.