What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot reported that he was CFI for an IFR training flight and that the CFI and student conducted independent prefights of the aircraft which included checking that the cowling was latched. On the second flight of the day, after terminating the lesson, they requested to transit through kiaw airspace north from P08. When about five to ten miles prior to the field, the front right side of the cowling came up and shattered the windshield. The left side of the cowling remained attached to the aircraft. The cowling blocked the visability of the CFI in the right seat. The CFI slowed the airplane, declared an emergency and continued direct to kiwa. The CFI had the student hold the cowling down through space where the windshield had been to create visibility which enable the CFI to land safely. There were no injuries.
Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the upper cowling’s right front pin that takes all the air loads separated from the cowling. The latches on right side then failed as they are not designed to hold the cowl in place and not to carry the air loads in flight. The pins are held in place by composite media, which appears to have failed in this case. SDR was filed.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS CFI FOR AN IFR TRAINING FLIGHT AND THAT THE CFI AND STUDENT CONDUCTED INDEPENDENT PREFIGHTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH INCLUDED CHECKING THAT THE COWLING WAS LATCHED. ON THE SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY, AFTER TERMINATING THE LESSON, THEY REQUESTED TO TRANSIT THROUGH KIAW AIRSPACE NORTH FROM P08. WHEN ABOUT FIVE TO TEN MILES PRIOR TO THE FIELD, THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE COWLING CAME UP AND SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COWLING REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE COWLING BLOCKED THE VISABILITY OF THE CFI IN THE RIGHT SEAT. THE CFI SLOWED THE AIRPLANE, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND CONTINUED DIRECT TO KIWA. THE CFI HAD THE STUDENT HOLD THE COWLING DOWN THROUGH SPACE WHERE THE WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN TO CREATE VISIBILITY WHICH ENABLE THE CFI TO LAND SAFELY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE UPPER COWLING’S RIGHT FRONT PIN THAT TAKES ALL THE AIR LOADS SEPARATED FROM THE COWLING. THE LATCHES ON RIGHT SIDE THEN FAILED AS THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED TO HOLD THE COWL IN PLACE AND NOT TO CARRY THE AIR LOADS IN FLIGHT. THE PINS ARE HELD IN PLACE BY COMPOSITE MEDIA, WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED IN THIS CASE. SDR WAS FILED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.