AN AIRBUS A321 IN CLB AT 5000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO #2 ENG COWLING OPEN IN FLT INCURRING DAMAGE TO ENG; COWLING; PYLON AND WING LEADING EDGE.

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ON SEPT/FRI/2002 I WAS ASSIGNED A WEEKLY CHECK ON ACFT. AFTER THE ENG CHIP DETECTORS WERE CHECKED I CLOSED THE ENG COWLS SECURELY ON BOTH ENGS. THE CHECK WAS COMPLETED AT XA:00 AND I SIGNED THE AIRWORTHINESS BLOCK AND COMPLETED THE LOG BOOK. AT THIS TIME I LEFT THE ACFT AND DIDN'T RETURN TO IT. AT XE:40 I WAS INFORMED BY THE OTHER MECH ASSIGNED WITH ME THAT HE WAS INFORMED THAT AN ENG COWL CAME OPEN IN FLT ON OUR ACFT. WE WAITED AT THE GATE UNTIL IT ARRIVED. UPON ARRIVAL WE CONFIRMED THAT THE #2 ENG COWLS HAD COME OPEN AND WERE MOSTLY MISSING. WE WERE BOTH DRUG TESTED AND RECEIVED ALCOHOL TESTS AT THAT TIME. THE #2 ENG REQUIRED REMOVAL DUE TO DAMAGE TO THE PYLON. THE COWLS WERE FOUND ON THE RWY BY THE FIRE DEP AND RETURNED TO ACR AUTHORITIES. THEY SENT THE LATCHES OUT FOR INSPECTION TO SEE IF THEY FAILED. THE MECH WHO PUSHED BACK THE ACFT SAID THE COWLS WERE SECURE UPON PUSHBACK; AS DID THE PLTS. I AM NOT SURE HOW THE COWLS CAME OPEN IN FLT; I DON'T KNOW IF THE LATCHES FAILED OR IF SOMEONE COULD HAVE OPENED THE ENG COWLS FOR REFERENCE AND DIDN'T LATCH THEM BACK. ONCE I SIGNED THE LOG BOOK I NEVER RETURNED. THAT LEFT A FOUR HR GAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED DUE TO A SVC BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER ON COWLING PROBS THE CARRIER HAS REQUIRED TECHNICIANS OPENING THE FAN COWLING TO ENTER A LOGBOOK ITEM AND THEN SIGNOFF THE ITEM WHEN THE COWLING IS CLOSED AND LATCHED. THE RPTR SAID THERE IS NO DOUBT OR UNCERTAINTY THAT THE COWLING WAS ANYTHING BUT CLOSED AND LATCHED. THE RPTR STATED HE HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED A FALSE LATCHED COWLING LATCH BUT HAS HEARD THIS CONDITION HAS BEEN RPTED BY OTHER TECHNICIANS. THE RPTR SAID THE FAN COWL LATCHES ARE THE SAME LATCHES USED ON THE AIRBUS 319 AND AIRBUS 320. CALLBACK FROM ACN 560061: THE RPTR STATED ON THE PREFLT WALK AROUND INSPECTION; THE COWLING ON #2 ENG WAS CLOSED AND THE LOWER SURFACE HAD NO GAP AND THE LATCH HANDLES WERE FAIRED WITH NOTHING HANGING DOWN. THE RPTR SAID WITH ONLY A 20 INCH GAP BTWN THE GND AND THE LATCH HANDLES THE ONLY WAY TO ACTUALLY VIEW THE LATCHES IS LAY ON THE RAMP SURFACE. THE RPTR STATED IT WAS RPTED TWO LATCHES WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN LATCHED. THE RPTR SAID HE WAS AWARE OF RPTS OF COWLING OPENING IN FLT ON OTHER AIRBUS ACFT.