What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 19, 2024, at approximately 1920 local time, aircraft privacy data omitted, a Cessna 172, was flying at 2500 feet, 6 nautical miles southwest of warrenton fauquier airport (khwy), and about 4 miles north of lake of the woods, when the aircraft was struck in the lower left nose by an object which made a significant impact. At that time the aircraft was in a 45-degree bank turn and flying at 90 knots airspeed. A couple of seconds after the impact, a panel on the left engine cowling departed the aircraft. The pilot in command (PIC) declared an emergency and landed at khwy without incident.
An inspection of the aircraft reveled a large dent and a hole in the lower left engine cowling with black gouge marks, the upper left cowling was completely missing from the aircraft, and there were gouge marks on the underside of the left wing. Additionally, an inspection of the entire aircraft to include the engine compartment revealed no evidence of a bird strike. No other damage to the aircraft was noted.
An inspection of the maintenance logbooks revealed that all inspections were current as of September 19, 2024.
Additionally, the sheriff departments for culpepper and fauquier counties were notified about the engine cowling that departed the aircraft, in the event that a local resident recovered the engine cowling.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1920 LOCAL TIME, AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CESSNA 172, WAS FLYING AT 2500 FEET, 6 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF WARRENTON FAUQUIER AIRPORT (KHWY), AND ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF LAKE OF THE WOODS, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK IN THE LOWER LEFT NOSE BY AN OBJECT WHICH MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. AT THAT TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A 45-DEGREE BANK TURN AND FLYING AT 90 KNOTS AIRSPEED. A COUPLE OF SECONDS AFTER THE IMPACT, A PANEL ON THE LEFT ENGINE COWLING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED AT KHWY WITHOUT INCIDENT.
AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVELED A LARGE DENT AND A HOLE IN THE LOWER LEFT ENGINE COWLING WITH BLACK GOUGE MARKS, THE UPPER LEFT COWLING WAS COMPLETELY MISSING FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AND THERE WERE GOUGE MARKS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING. ADDITIONALLY, AN INSPECTION OF THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT TO INCLUDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A BIRD STRIKE. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOTED.
AN INSPECTION OF THE MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT ALL INSPECTIONS WERE CURRENT AS OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2024.
ADDITIONALLY, THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENTS FOR CULPEPPER AND FAUQUIER COUNTIES WERE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE ENGINE COWLING THAT DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, IN THE EVENT THAT A LOCAL RESIDENT RECOVERED THE ENGINE COWLING.