Elk hunter finds missing Citation CJ2 engine cowling in Wyoming

(All photos courtesy: Chris Holden)A Wyoming elk hunter discovered parts of a Cessna Citation CJ2 scattered on the ground near Laramie Peak in Converse County, Wyoming, on Wednesday, Nov. 19. "I was about a mile in, on the start of my hike. It's in an area I've already hiked a dozen times this year. I saw what looked like aircraft parts and thought, ‘Whoa, that's not good,'" Chris Holden told Cowboy State Daily. The Converse County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and worked into the early hours of Thursday morning. Deputies found no signs of a crash, impact site, or additional wreckage, and there were no reports of a missing aircraft in the region. Investigators said the parts were likely from a Dec. 18, 2019, in-flight mishap, according to Cowboy State Daily. The NTSB told the publication that the debris appeared to be a lower engine cowling from an older Cessna Citation CJ2. A 2019 entry on the Aviation Safety Network and a final NTSB report published in 2022 support that conclusion. According to the 2022 report, the right engine cowling of a Citation CJ2 flying from Casper, Wyoming, to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, separated from the aircraft during flight. The pilot told investigators he heard a loud bang, followed by a change in pitch altitude. The aircraft landed safely at Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scottsbluff (BFF). After the landing, investigators noted the right engine lower cowling and three fasteners were missing and were not recovered.The NTSB determined the incident was caused by incorrect mounting hardware used to secure the cowling, resulting in its separation.Six years later, the missing parts have now been found.