Embraer EMB-145LR N16561

Summary

On 13 March 2010 at about 00:04 local time, a Embraer EMB-145LR registered N16561, operated by Expressjet Airlines Inc, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. 45 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 March 2010 at 00:04

Classification

Incident

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Chicago O'Hare IAP (ORD)

Coordinates

41.8306, -87.7269

Aircraft

Embraer EMB-145LR

Registration

N16561

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Expressjet Airlines Inc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greer → Chicago

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN10IA157

Nobody was injured.

An in-flight encounter with lightning. Contributing to the incident was the damaged and displaced tailcone bulkhead frame that inhibited the full travel of the elevator during approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane received minor damage when it sustained a lightning strike while on approach. The flightcrew subsequently encountered elevator control binding, although they were able to land without further incident. Both flightcrew members indicated that the control yoke could be manipulated in the aft direction, but that it would not move forward past about 60-percent deflection. A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the tailcone was damaged. Examination of the damage disclosed that the tailcone's light assembly wiring harness and its respective overbraid shielding were thermally damaged. A bulkhead frame was dislodged from its location due to the thermal damage present on the wiring harness. The dislodged bulkhead came to rest on the elevator's bellcrank, which restricted the flightcrew's ability to control the elevator. Subsequent to the incident, the airplane's manufacturer redesigned the tailcone. The new design incorporates a light assembly secured to the tip of the tailcone by an aluminum retaining strap. In this design four diverters are installed on the exterior tailcone skin which are electrically bonded to the metallic retaining strap of the light assembly and to the metallic bonding plate installed in each side of the fairing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.