BE1900 CREW FAILS TO REMOVE AN ENGINE COVER ON PREFLIGHT; AND IT IS SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE DURING START WITH NO ILL EFFECTS. ON THE FIFTH LEG OF THE DAY ANOMALIES ARE NOTED WHICH LEAD TO DISCOVERY BY MAINTENANCE OF THE COVER LODGED IN THE INTAKE.

Narrative

DURING PREFLT THE ENG COVER WAS NOT REMOVED FROM THE R SIDE ENG WHILE THE PLANE WAS SITTING ON THE RAMP. IT WAS ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE PLANE AND WAS OVERLOOKED ON THE PREFLT. DURING STARTUP THE ENG COVER WAS SUCKED INTO THE ENG INLET AND WAS TRAPPED BY THE ICE VEINS IN THE INLET. THE PLANES THE ENG INDICATIONS WERE ALL NORMAL DURING START-UP. WE THEN CONTINUED TO LOAD THE AIRPLANE AND CONTINUE THE FLT NOT KNOWING THAT THE COVER HAD BEEN SUCKED IN THE ENG INLET. WE CONTINUED FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 AND NO INDICATIONS WERE THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. THE PROC WHEN LNDG IS TO TURN ON THE ENG ANTI-ICE TO PREVENT FOREIGN OBJECTS FROM ENTERING THE INLET. AFTER LNDG ON THE POSTFLT WALKAROUND I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING TRAPPED IN THE ICE VEINS SINCE THE DOOR WAS DOWN AND BLOCKING THE VIEW TO THE BACK OF THE ENG INLET. AGAIN WE STARTED UP THE PLANE AND THERE WERE NO IRREGULAR INDICATIONS DURING START-UP OR THE REST OF THIS FLT. THIS WENT ON FOR FIVE LEGS BEFORE WE NOTICED A PROB. WHILE ENRTE TO ZZZ WE WERE PASSING THROUGH SOME MOISTURE SO THE ENGINE ANTI ICE WENT ON FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT DAY IN FLT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE TORQUE ON THE R ENG DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN IT SHOULD HAVE. WE THEN LEFT THE MOISTURE TURNED OFF THE ENG ANTI-ICE AND EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL. THE CAPT DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ4 AND HAVE IT LOOKED AT WHEN WE GOT THERE. ONCE THERE; THE ENG ANTI-ICE WAS TURNED OFF SO THAT WE COULD INSPECT THE INLET WHICH IS WHEN WE FOUND THE ENG COVER. IT WAS NOT NOTICED WHEN THE ENG ANTI-ICE CAME ON WHEN ON THE GND BECAUSE THE TORQUE WAS LOW ENOUGH DURING TAXI THAT THE DIFFERENCE COULD NOT BE SEEN OR FELT. AS SOON AS IT WAS DISCOVERED IT WAS WRITTEN UP AND A MECH CAME OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ENG HAD NOT RECEIVED DAMAGE FROM THE COVER. IT WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THE PLANE WAS TAKEN BACK AND FINISHED THE DAY AS SCHEDULED.