PA28-180D PLT TRYING TO NAV WITH GPS BECAME DISORIENTED AND ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE; FOUND ARPT; LANDED AND FIXED GPS. AFTER DEPARTING AGAIN THE ACFT COWLING ON THE L SIDE CAME OFF CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO WINDSHIELD; HOLE IN FUSELAGE AND HORIZ STABILIZER. PLT LANDED AS ATC DIVERTED OTHER TFC.

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ON EVENING OF NOV XX 1996; DEPARTED KISSIMMEE TO RETURN TO ORL USING OPS AND MENTOR PLUS MOVING MAP AS PRIMARY NAV. KISSIMMEE IS ON EDGE OF MCO CLASS B. WATCHING FOR TFC (KISSIMMEE IS UNCTLED); AND SPLITTING ATTN BTWN COCKPIT AND COMPUTER SCREEN; WOKE UP TO THE FACT THAT MINI AIRPLANE ON COMPUTER SCREEN WAS NOT MOVING. CONTINUED STRAIGHT WHILE TRYING TO SOLVE GPS CONNECTION. LOST TRACK OF ARPT AND POS. DROPPED TO 1000 FT MSL AND FLEW IN A CIRCLE WHILE TRYING TO PULL OUT NAV INFO FOR KISSIMMEE. ALMOST CERTAINLY BUSTED CLASS B. HEARD RADIO TFC ON CTAF AND ORL TWR STATING 'NOT SURE WHAT HE'S DOING; HANGING AROUND AT 1000 FT; NO FACTOR TO YOU AT THIS TIME.' FINALLY LOCATED KISSIMMEE. RETURNED FOR A LNDG. LANDED AND FIXED GPS; GOT OTHER NAVAIDS DIALED IN AND PLANNED PROPERLY BACK TO ORL. DID NOT PREFLT; SINCE I HAD NOT DEPLANED. TOOK OFF AGAIN WITH ALL WORKING INSTS. APPROX 9 MI W OR ORL; RADIO POS AND INTENTIONS. WAS TOLD TO RPT 3 MI S EXPECTING RWY 31. AT APPROX 7 MI W; IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE ENG COWLING (PIPER 28-180D) WAS UP SLIGHTLY ON L-HAND SIDE OF ACFT (PROP SIDE). THIS SIT WAS MONITORED CAREFULLY AND ACFT WAS SLOWED APPROX 5 MI W. SOME LIGHT CHOP WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE COWLING POPPED UP HIGHER ON L-HAND SIDE. WITHIN SEVERAL SECONDS THE COWLING LET GO ON L; SWUNG BACK AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD AND THEN LET GO COMPLETELY. TWR WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED AND RWY 7; WHICH WAS ALMOST STRAIGHT AHEAD; WAS REQUESTED. OTHER TFC WAS DIVERTED AND WE WERE CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE LNDG ON RWY 7. ACFT LANDED IN LIGHT XWIND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MINOR DAMAGE TO WINDSHIELD AND SUPPORT WERE DISCOVERED. SMALL HOLE IN R SIDE OF FUSELAGE WAS DISCOVERED; VERY LIGHT SCRATCH ACROSS HORIZ STABILIZER DISCOVERED. COWLING NEVER RPTED AS FOUND BY ANYONE ON THE GND. NO FURTHER CONTACT MADE WITH TWR ON THE SUBJECT. FAA NOT NOTIFIED BY ME. I THINK THAT I HAD RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FIRST PROB (GPS FAILURE) AND DID NOT HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. AS FOR THE COWLING; IT MAY HAVE LOOSENED ON LNDG AT KISSIMMEE (LNDG WAS A BIT ROUGH) AND A PREFLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE PRIOR TO DEP.