- Date
- January 19, 2004, 16:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bangor, MA
- Injuries
- 40 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N734EKEmbraer 135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- Headquarters
- Case key
- 58639
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Severe wear of the internal threads of the rudder interconnection contol rod which led to disengagement.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
American Eagle Embraer 135, N734EK, experienced an uncommanded rudder deflection after takeoff from Bangor, Maine. The flight crew returned to Bangor and landed the airplane uneventfully. There were 35 passengers and 3 crew members on board. Inspection of the airplane after the incident revealed a failed rudder interconnect rod. Examination of the failed components in the NTSB Materials Lab revealed that the internal threads of the interconnect rod were worn.
Factual narrative
American Eagle Embraer 135, N734EK, experienced an uncommanded rudder deflection after takeoff from Bangor, Maine. The flight crew returned to Bangor and landed the airplane uneventfully. There were 35 passengers and 3 crew members on board. Inspection of the airplane after the incident revealed a failed rudder interconnect rod.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734EK
- Reported as
- Embraer 135
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Simmons Airlines Inc
- Departed
- KBGR · Bangor, MA
- Destination
- KBOS · Boston, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Injuries
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC)
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.21 inHg