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20230202021489I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR · Little Rock, AR · February 2, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 2, 2023 · 19:23 local
Place
Little Rock, AR
Airport
Bill And Hillary Clinton Ntl/A
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
MASA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N86347
Reported as
Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR
People aboard
69
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
3,000 total
N86347Registered now · Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LRS/N 17000591 · Built 2016Airframe modelEmbraer S A ERJ 170-200 LREngine modelGE CF34-8E5Turbo-fan

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.

Aircraft was enroute from iah to lit and encountered severe turbulence while descending though FL180 approximately 50 NM sw of lit. The captain stated in their report they had started their descent from FL310 and due to a tailwind were slowing the aircraft from 290 knots to 250 knots. The thrust lever was at idle and the speed brakes were fully extended when the unexpected severe turbulence was encountered passing through FL 180. The captain reported during the event the aircraft had an overspeed condition, and that they disconnected the autopilot and pitched the aircraft up to reduce airspeed. The overspeed condition was estimated to have lasted 3 to 5 seconds. The two flight attendants reported minor injuries due to being thrown from their feet when the aircraft abruptly pitched down. The aircraft landed safely in lit with no passenger injuries reported. According to statement from certificate holder's director of safety no passengers or crew sought medical attention. Maintenance performed inspections for the overspeed and severe turbulence in accordance with the Embraer aircraft maintenance manual. The only finding on the aircraft inspection was a missing fastener on the APU access panel. The flight data recorder showed a maximum speed of 326 knots for less than four seconds which is below the threshold to perform the required inspections. The aircraft has since been returned to service.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM IAH TO LIT AND ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE WHILE DESCENDING THOUGH FL180 APPROXIMATELY 50 NM SW OF LIT. THE CAPTAIN STATED IN THEIR REPORT THEY HAD STARTED THEIR DESCENT FROM FL310 AND DUE TO A TAILWIND WERE SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT FROM 290 KNOTS TO 250 KNOTS. THE THRUST LEVER WAS AT IDLE AND THE SPEED BRAKES WERE FULLY EXTENDED WHEN THE UNEXPECTED SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED PASSING THROUGH FL 180. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED DURING THE EVENT THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN OVERSPEED CONDITION, AND THAT THEY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPILOT AND PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO REDUCE AIRSPEED. THE OVERSPEED CONDITION WAS ESTIMATED TO HAVE LASTED 3 TO 5 SECONDS. THE TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REPORTED MINOR INJURIES DUE TO BEING THROWN FROM THEIR FEET WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY IN LIT WITH NO PASSENGER INJURIES REPORTED. ACCORDING TO STATEMENT FROM CERTIFICATE HOLDER'S DIRECTOR OF SAFETY NO PASSENGERS OR CREW SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION. MAINTENANCE PERFORMED INSPECTIONS FOR THE OVERSPEED AND SEVERE TURBULENCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EMBRAER AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL. THE ONLY FINDING ON THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION WAS A MISSING FASTENER ON THE APU ACCESS PANEL. THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER SHOWED A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 326 KNOTS FOR LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS WHICH IS BELOW THE THRESHOLD TO PERFORM THE REQUIRED INSPECTIONS. THE AIRCRAFT HAS SINCE BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE.