20110301002349I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Embraer EMB-145EP · Windsor Locks, CT · March 1, 2011

Date: March 1, 2011 · 06:25 local
Place: Windsor Locks, CT
Airport: Bradley International Airport
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N801HK
Reported as: Embraer EMB-145EP
Reported engine: Allison AE-3007A1/1
People aboard: 32
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 30,246 total8,403 in this make and model258 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Us air express (trans states airlines-raia) 3503, an Embraer 145-EP on scheduled service between Bradley international (kbdl) Windsor Locks, CT and pittsburgh, PA, (kpit). This flight pushed back from gate 27 at kbdl with 29 passengers, two pilots and one flight attendant. At approximately 0625 EST, as the aircraft and tug were decelerating at the end of the push back, the nose gear of the EMB-145 collapsed into the gear well and onto the towbar. The aircraft was evacuated without injury through the forward passenger entry door 1L. The aircraft incurred the following damage. The upper end of the auxiliary drag strut had a full thickness fracture/separation approximately 4" from the upper attachment point. Damage incidental to the failure included one grease zerk fitting sheared off of the aft side of the scissor link and crush damage to the lower 4" of the radar mount bulkhead. The lower edge of the radome also exhibited crush damage consistent with contact with the towbar.

As the FAA filed it

US AIR EXPRESS (TRANS STATES AIRLINES-RAIA) 3503, AN EMBRAER 145-EP ON SCHEDULED SERVICE BETWEEN BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL (KBDL) WINDSOR LOCKS, CT AND PITTSBURGH, PA, (KPIT). THIS FLIGHT PUSHED BACK FROM GATE 27 AT KBDL WITH 29 PASSENGERS, TWO PILOTS AND ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT. AT APPROXIMATELY 0625 EST, AS THE AIRCRAFT AND TUG WERE DECELERATING AT THE END OF THE PUSH BACK, THE NOSE GEAR OF THE EMB-145 COLLAPSED INTO THE GEAR WELL AND ONTO THE TOWBAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVACUATED WITHOUT INJURY THROUGH THE FORWARD PASSENGER ENTRY DOOR 1L. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE. THE UPPER END OF THE AUXILIARY DRAG STRUT HAD A FULL THICKNESS FRACTURE/SEPARATION APPROXIMATELY 4" FROM THE UPPER ATTACHMENT POINT. DAMAGE INCIDENTAL TO THE FAILURE INCLUDED ONE GREASE ZERK FITTING SHEARED OFF OF THE AFT SIDE OF THE SCISSOR LINK AND CRUSH DAMAGE TO THE LOWER 4" OF THE RADAR MOUNT BULKHEAD. THE LOWER EDGE OF THE RADOME ALSO EXHIBITED CRUSH DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH CONTACT WITH THE TOWBAR.