# Incident 20100716041799I: Embraer ERJ 170-100, Birmingham, AL, July 16, 2010

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 16, 2010, 15:00 local time
- Place: Birmingham, AL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: UHLA
- Location: 33.5207° N, 86.8025° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Birmingham, AL, within about 7 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5207&lon=-86.8025&mi=10
- Aircraft: N860RW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N860RW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Embraer ERJ 170-100 SE (registry code 3260406, https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-erj-170-100-se) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: GE CF34 series (registry code 30015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf34-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EMBRAER ERJ 170-100
- Reported engine: GE CF34
- People aboard: 49
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 7,000 total, 2,419 in this make and model, 240 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100716041799I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS DISPATCHED ALONG A 400 NM ROUTE IN A PREDICTED AREA OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY.  THE CAPTAIN ACCEPTED THE DISPATCHED ROUTING AS PLANNED.  DURING A TIME PERIOD OF THREE (3) HOURS, ISOLATED, GENERAL AIR-MASS-TYPE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP, DISSIPATE AND RE-FORM INTO AN ORGANIZED, CHAIN OF EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS CLUSTERED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT.  THE DISPATCHER ON DUTY STATED HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE ANY WEATHER-RELATED RISKS FOR THE REGION THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTENDING TO OPERATE. THE FLIGHTCREW REPORTED IMC CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR BOTH THE CLIMB-OUT AND INITIAL CRUISE PHASE OF FLIGHT CAUSING THE FLIGHTCREW TO RELY ON THE USE OF AIRBORNE RADAR FOR WEATHER AVOIDANCE.  A DIRECT ROUTING WAS REQUESTED BY THE FLIGHTCREW FOR WEATHER ALONG THEIR PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT.  THE CAPTAIN REPORTED HE DID NOT RADAR IDENTIFY ANY HAZARDOUS AREAS ALONG HIS TRACK UNTIL HE RESELECTED A LOWER RANGE SETTING.  AT THE TWENTY-FIVE (25) MILE SCALE, THE CAPTAIN OBSERVED A SMALL AREA OF WEAK RETURNS.  UPON SELECTING A FIVE (5) MILE SCALE, THE DISPLAY FILLED WITH CYAN INDICATING INTENSE TO EXTREME RAINFALL RATES IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE AIRCRAFT.  THE CAPTAIN REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN BUT WAS UNABLE TO AVOID PENETRATING THE STORM CELL DURING THE TURN.  CLOUD HEIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH STORMS IN THE AREA WERE REPORTED TO EXCEED FL 450.THE CREW REPORTED FIRST ENTERING AN AREA OF EXTREME PRECIPITATION AT FL370 FOLLOWED BY SEVERE TURBULENCE, AUTOPILOT DISENGAGEMENT AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL AFTER INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE STORM CELL.   ACCORDING TO DATA SUPPLIED FROM ATC VIDEO IMAGING (CAMTASIA) AND THE DIGITAL FLIGHT DATA RECORDER (DFDR), THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN AN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE.   THE CONTROLLER PROMPTLY DECLARED AND EMERGENCY AND SUBSEQUENTY COORDINATED WITH OTHER SECTORS AND TO ASSIST THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT AS REQUIRED.   NO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED; HOWEVER, ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTED A MINOR INJURY.THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED INTO SERVICE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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