Incident Overview
During a takeoff and initial climb, the pilot reported no abnormalities during a thorough preflight inspection and walk around. At approximately 300 feet above ground level, the top engine cowling separated from the aircraft. The separated cowling struck the right side of the windshield and the right side of the horizontal stabilator. The pilot returned to the airport and landed without further incident.
Cowling Damage and Examination
The center portion of the top engine cowling was not recovered. The right portion separated in-flight but was recovered, while the left portion remained attached to its two latch points. Examination of the right portion revealed that the forward latch was broken and separated in half. Both the forward and aft latches were bent, twisted aft, and canted aft. Examination of the left portion showed no apparent damage to the latches.
Previous Incident and Maintenance History
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 incident. Maintenance records indicate that following the 2003 incident, the top engine cowling was replaced with a cowling that had accumulated 11,800 flight hours at the time of replacement. That cowling subsequently underwent two repairs of the fiberglass structure, performed on July 7, 2004, and September 14, 2004. The later repair addressed a crack at the forward area of the top cowling.