Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure; Distraction; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Aircraft; Human Factors
During the takeoff roll at a speed of approximately 45 knots I noticed the right hand upper engine cowling shaking and beginning to lift. Realizing that the cowling was not properly latched; I reduced the throttle to idle and performed a rejected takeoff. I notified the Tower Controller and exited the runway. I explained to the Tower Controller the reason for discontinuing the takeoff and he asked if I needed to return to the gate. After considering this I told him that I didn't believe that it was necessary but that I would like to proceed to the run up pad for where; with his permission; I would like to shut down in order to properly close and latch the cowling and inspect for any damage. The Controller asked how long this would take and I responded; 'Only 2 or 3 minutes.' I was then cleared to taxi to the run up pad where I shut down the engine; set the parking brake; and proceeded to inspect the engine cowl. The engine cowl was resting in its normal position and all three latches were in the open position. Using a flashlight; I looked over the cowling both inside and out before attempting to close and latch the cowl. No damage was noticed so I latched the cowl closed and returned to the flight deck. After completing the engine start and appropriate preflight checks; I notified the Tower Controller that I was ready for takeoff. The remainder of the flight was completed uneventfully. Two abnormal events occurred during the preflight and loading of the aircraft that contributed to this event:1. After connecting the battery; during my visual inspection of the right hand engine compartment (engine cowl open) another Company pilot walked over to me and asked questions regarding some policies/procedures. Since this pilot was new to the company I took the time to interrupt my preflight to provide detailed answers to the questions. This required that I retrieve my cell phone from the flight deck and since I had been holding the engine cowl open with my hand instead of using the rod/bracket designed to hold the cowl open the cowl returned to its closed position when I stepped away. I had intended to return to latch the cowl. 2. Immediately after answering the other pilots questions; now standing on the left side of the aircraft near the pilots door; the Ramp Agent handed me the loading control document and indicated that there was a piece of freight that was about to be loaded on my plane that was not included in the paperwork. Working to understand and resolve this issue distracted me from returning to the unlatched engine cowl. With the engine cowl resting in its closed position I failed to notice and to remember that the three cowl latches had not been properly secured. I could suggest that pilots not allow themselves to become distracted while performing their preflight duties but given that this a single pilot operation and the Pilot in Command has many tasks to perform in a limited amount of time and given that; despite much standardization; variations of routine in loading; completing paperwork; communication; and just about everything that occurs in the hour prior to block out can and do occur; any suggestion must be explicit and actionable. Therefore; in order to prevent pilots of the C208 from forgetting to properly close and latch the engine cowl I suggest the following: 1. Whenever the engine cowl is opened employ the hold open rod/bracket designed for this purpose instead of holding the cowl open with one's hand. This way the open cowl will be obvious to the pilot while he/she is seated in the pilot seat. 2. Prior to boarding the airplane for departure the pilot should walk completely around the airplane; perhaps touching with his/her fingers each and every door; hatch; cowl; etc. to ensure these items are in the correct position for flight.
A rejected takeoff was the result of distractions during preflight which caused the pilot of a C-208 to fail to fasten engine cowling latches which were open at the time of the distractions.