NTSB Factual Report

On May 31, 2005, about 1745 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-300, N333TG, registered to Bellefonte Inc., and operated by Ram Air Freight Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 135 on demand air taxi cargo flight, had its top engine cowling separate and impact the windshield and right horizontal stabilator during takeoff at the Page Field Airport, Fort Myers, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rule flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot was not injured and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time.

The pilot stated he originally completed a thorough preflight inspection before departing for the previous flight from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Page Field Airport, Fort Myers, Florida. He did not notice anything abnormal at the time of this first inspection. Prior to departing Page Field Airport, he conducted a brief walk around the airplane and did not notice anything out of the ordinary. He was cleared to depart from runway 13, and the takeoff roll and initial climb were uneventful. At about 300 feet above the ground, without any warning, the top cowling of the engine separated and struck the right side of the windshield. The section of the separated cowling continued aft and impacted with the right side of the horizontal stabilator. At that moment, the airplane yawed to the right and went into a nose down attitude. He declared an emergency and was cleared to land on any runway. He was able to gain control of the airplane after a short time, continued the right bank of the airplane and turned 180 degrees to return to the airport. He landed on runway 5 without further complications.

Examinations by the FAA inspector and a representative of the airplane manufacturer determined that the center portion of the top engine cowling was not recovered, the right portion of the top engine cowling separated in-flight, which was recovered, and the left portion of the top engine cowling remained attached to its two latch points. Examination of the right portion of the cowling revealed that the forward latch was broken and separated in half. Both the forward and aft latches were bent and twisted aft. The forward latch was canted aft approximately 0.25 of an inch, and the aft latch was canted aft approximately 0.5 of an inch. Examination of the left portion of the cowling revealed no apparent damage to the latches.

The accident airplane had a previous incident on October 22, 2003, in which the top engine cowling separated during climb out and impacted the windshield. The airplane returned to the airport and landed without further complications. Examination of the maintenance records revealed that following the incident in 2003, the top engine cowling was replaced by a cowling which had accumulated 11,800 flight hours at the time of the replacement. That cowling subsequently had numerous maintenance performed to it, including two repairs of the fiberglass structure accomplished on July 7, 2004 and September 14, 2004. The latter of these repairs addressed a crack at the forward area of the top cowling.

NTSB Probable Cause

Inadequate maintenance and repair of the engine top cowling by company maintenance personnel, resulting in failure and separation of the cowling in flight.