What happened
On 20 January 2000, an Airbus A320-231, registration G-VCED, was performing a passenger flight from London Gatwick Airport. During the takeoff rotation, the fan cowl doors from the number one engine detached from the aircraft. The departing panels struck the airframe, causing extensive damage to the engine pylon, the left wing, slats, flaps, the fuselage, and the fin.
Passengers seated near the left wing observed a panel flying off the aircraft, and cabin crew later reported hearing loud banging noises. The flight crew, noticing a caution indication regarding an emergency exit, eventually leveled the aircraft at 9,000 feet. After assessing the damage and confirming that debris had been found on the runway, the commander decided to divert the flight to London Stansted Airport. The aircraft landed safely with no fatalities and no injuries to the 146 passengers or 6 crew members.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and found that the hinges remained attached to the pylon, but the aerodynamic loads during rotation had forced the unlatched doors to hinge open and eventually tear away. The investigation focused on the maintenance performed the previous night, during which a weekly check required the fan cowl doors to be opened.
While the engineer involved believed the doors were secured, they could not positively recall latching them. The investigation also looked into the visibility of the latches, finding that when unlatched, the handles were obscured by the curvature of the cowl and were difficult to see under standard hangar lighting. Furthermore, the engineer was unaware of recent technical instructions regarding the necessity of ensuring these doors were latched after maintenance.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the fan cowl doors had likely remained unlatched following maintenance work performed the previous night.
- There were no flight deck indications to alert the crew that the doors were unfastened.
- The latches were difficult to inspect visually due to their position and the lack of conspicuous markings.
- A lack of effective communication meant the engineer was not aware of recent safety notices regarding door latching procedures.