What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot cancelled a flight on 22 December from ara to pve because of a generator load not being paralleled. The pilot, who also holds an A&P certificate, arranged for a mechanic to troubleshoot the issue on the following morning. That next morning, the pilot opened the cowl doors for the mechanic in anticipation of his arrival. Each cowl is secured by four (4) latches and three (3) fasteners. When the mechanic arrived, they decided to run it first so he closed and latched the doors but did not install the fasteners assuming they would need to be opened again. They subsequently ran the engines and adjusted the gcu inside the cabin, which fixed the generator issue. He then got distracted by an in-depth discussion about another issue with the cabin temperature. Early the next morning, the same pilot performed the preflight and distinctly recalls touching all of the latches on both engines cowlings and thinking "locked", but couldn't remember noticing if the screws were installed or not. They departed ara enroute to pve and while flying at 220 knots indicated airspeed and 1,500 feet-per-minute descent into pve, the right engine cowling departed the aircraft and hit a right side window causing it to blow out on descent through 14,000 feet. The pilot turned on oxygen, did not declare an emergency, and landed uneventfully at pve. There were no injuries to the pilot or either of the two (2) passengers.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT CANCELLED A FLIGHT ON 22 DECEMBER FROM ARA TO PVE BECAUSE OF A GENERATOR LOAD NOT BEING PARALLELED. THE PILOT, WHO ALSO HOLDS AN A&P CERTIFICATE, ARRANGED FOR A MECHANIC TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ISSUE ON THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THAT NEXT MORNING, THE PILOT OPENED THE COWL DOORS FOR THE MECHANIC IN ANTICIPATION OF HIS ARRIVAL. EACH COWL IS SECURED BY FOUR (4) LATCHES AND THREE (3) FASTENERS. WHEN THE MECHANIC ARRIVED, THEY DECIDED TO RUN IT FIRST SO HE CLOSED AND LATCHED THE DOORS BUT DID NOT INSTALL THE FASTENERS ASSUMING THEY WOULD NEED TO BE OPENED AGAIN. THEY SUBSEQUENTLY RAN THE ENGINES AND ADJUSTED THE GCU INSIDE THE CABIN, WHICH FIXED THE GENERATOR ISSUE. HE THEN GOT DISTRACTED BY AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THE CABIN TEMPERATURE. EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, THE SAME PILOT PERFORMED THE PREFLIGHT AND DISTINCTLY RECALLS TOUCHING ALL OF THE LATCHES ON BOTH ENGINES COWLINGS AND THINKING "LOCKED", BUT COULDN'T REMEMBER NOTICING IF THE SCREWS WERE INSTALLED OR NOT. THEY DEPARTED ARA ENROUTE TO PVE AND WHILE FLYING AT 220 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED AND 1,500 FEET-PER-MINUTE DESCENT INTO PVE, THE RIGHT ENGINE COWLING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND HIT A RIGHT SIDE WINDOW CAUSING IT TO BLOW OUT ON DESCENT THROUGH 14,000 FEET. THE PILOT TURNED ON OXYGEN, DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT PVE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR EITHER OF THE TWO (2) PASSENGERS.
Other reports on N600KA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.