# Incident 20190721012259I: Embraer EMB-145XR, Gunnison, CO, July 21, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 21, 2019, 18:20 local time
- Place: Gunnison, CO
- Airport: Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: RAIA
- Location: 38.5343° N, 106.9317° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE RGNL (GUC), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5343&lon=-106.9317&mi=10
- Aircraft: N31131, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31131) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Embraer EMB-145XR (registry code 3260214, https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-145xr) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce AE3007 series (registry code 54582, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-ae3007-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EMBRAER EMB-145XR
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC AE3007 SER
- People aboard: 52
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 16,441 total, 1,700 in this make and model, 88 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190721012259I

## Narrative

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

THE CAPTAIN OF FLIGHT LOF4688 DEPARTED GUNNISON (GUC) AIRPORT ENROUTE TO DENVER (DEN) ON A SCHEDULED FLIGHT ON 7/21/2019. THE CAPTAIN WAS THE PILOT FLYING (PF) AND THE FIRST OFFICER WAS THE PILOT MONITORING (PM) ON THIS LEG.

THE CAPTAIN (PF) STATED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB AT VFS CLIMB SPEED (FINAL SEGMENT SPEED, OFPM MANUAL) DURING THE DEPARTURE OUT OF GUC. THIS WAS TO MAXIMIZE CLIMB RATE IN ORDER TO REACH THE REQUIRED MEA ALTITUDE TO PROCEED ON COURSE PRIOR TO REACHING HBU VOR. THE OBSTACLE DEPARTURE PROCEDURE REQUIRED HOLDING AT HBU VOR UNTIL REACHING MEA ALTITUDE IN ORDER TO PROCEED ON COURSE. DURING THE CLIMB ATC GAVE THEM A NEW THE ARRIVAL ROUTE INTO DENVER (DEN) AND CLEARED THEM DIRECT TO A FIX ON THAT NEW ROUTE. THE CAPTAIN COMMANDED THE FIRST OFFICER (PM) TO, FIX THE ROUTING AND FIGURE THE FUEL CALCULATION FOR MAX LANDING WEIGHT. WHEN THE FIRST OFFICER WENT HEADS DOWN INITIATE THE ROUTE CHANGE AND FUEL CALCULATIONS, THE AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED AND THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE BEGAN REACHING UP TO ADJUST HIS SUNSHADE SINCE THE SUN WAS GETTING IN HIS EYES. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT AS HE WAS ADJUSTING THE SUNSHADE THEY HIT SOME TURBULENCE AND THE AIRCRAFT STALL STICK SHAKER ACTIVATED AND THE AUTOPILOT DISCONNECTED.  HE STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE AIRCRAFT PITCH TO RECOVER AND THEN CONTINUED THE CLIMB.

THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CAPTAIN FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE HIGH AIRCRAFT PITCH ATTITUDE WHEN THE AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED. THIS CAUSED THE DECAY OF THE AIRSPEED TO UNSAFE SPEED MARGINS AND RESULTED IN THE STALL PREVENTION SYSTEM ACTIVATION AND SUBSEQUENT AUTOPILOT DISENGAGEMENT.

## Other reports on N31131 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20120104000059I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120104000059I), Jan 4, 2012: Embraer EMB-145XR (N31131), Colorado Spring, CO, No damage. Baggage smoke master warning illuminated during cruise at 36,000 feet, 77 miles south of cos. Flight crew declared emergency, executed qrh procedures, and…

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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