Embraer EMB-145 N29917
25 April 2001 · Norfolk, Virginia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 April 2001 at about 22:15 local time, a Embraer EMB-145 registered N29917, operated by Continental Express Inc, was involved in an incident near Norfolk, Virginia, United States. 53 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:15
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Norfolk, Virginia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Norfolk International Airport (ORF)
- Coordinates
- 36.8599, -76.1999
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-145
- Registration
- N29917
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Continental Express Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Newark → Norfolk
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC01IA107
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
Probable cause
The manufacturer's inadequate quality control, which resulted in a jammed elevator trim actuator.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During cruise flight, the horizontal stabilizer jammed in the (-1)-degree trim position. After an uneventful landing, the elevator trim actuator was forwarded to the manufacturer for examination under the supervision of a Safety Board investigator. The elevator trim actuator contained a primary and back-up clutch gear, and each gear had a respective torque nut and lock washer. The examination revealed that that the tabs on the lock washers were not bent over into the locked position. Additionally, there was no evidence that the tabs had ever been bent into the locked position. The back-up clutch torque nut had backed off and down the shaft, coming to rest against the clutch gear cluster bearing outer race. The backed-off nut exhibited a scratch around the outer edge of the face, consistent with fouling against the clutch gear cluster bearing outer race, subsequently jamming the unit. The manufacturer identified the isolated error in the production process.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Embraer EMB-145 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Dec 1998 | Embraer EMB-145 | Curitba, Brazil | Rio SUL Linhas Aereas | No injuries | - |
| 12 May 2006 | Embraer EMB-145-LR | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Chautauqua Airlines Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Jun 2011 | Embraer EMB-145 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Eagle Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Nov 2001 | Cessna 172S | Leesburg, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2001 | Piper PA-28-RT201 | Manassas, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 May 2001 | Cessna U206E | New Market, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Aug 2001 | Embraer ERJ-135ER | Richmond, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 2001 | Andre MINI MAX 1500R | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 2001 | Boeing 757-200 | Arlington, Virginia, United States | American Airlines | Fatal | 64 |