Hmm. Lots of speculation, few clear facts yet. It does sound depressingly plausible that the cowls may not have been properly latched.
If so, that is surely a maintenance error, but also a crew failing - inadequate preflight check.
I find it interesting that several folk have immediately opted for an electronic warning system. Now why should that work better than using your eyeballs? Plenty aircraft have come to grief despite warning systems shouting out to the crew! Admittedly a back up for the lazy or busy day helps, just in case. And the possible impact of management pressures for efficiency does need to be thought about - how often is it?.
Luckily this aircraft didn't come to grief - and this crew and many of their colleagues, at least the ones who read incident and accident reports thoroughly, will not make that error again, if their error it was.
Go on - guess how I know? Yep, been there, have made that particular classic boob. Flying around to land while hoping the cowl won't come off fully and take part or all of the tail with it certainly concentrates the mind. There but for fortune...
(And on the little aircraft I fly now I have dayglo stripes to show me that crirical bolts are as they should be !)
Last edited by biscuit74; 24th May 2013 at 19:54.