Runway excursion Serious incident Embraer EMB-145XR N27152,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 314464
 
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Date:Monday 29 August 2011
Time:11:36 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic E45X model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Embraer EMB-145XR
Owner/operator:United Express, opb ExpressJet Airlines
Registration: N27152
MSN: 145759
Year of manufacture:2003
Total airframe hrs:22705 hours
Engine model:Rolls Royce AE 3007
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 53
Aircraft damage: Minor
Category:Serious incident
Location:Moline-Quad-City Airport, IL (MLI/KMLI) -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN)
Destination airport:Moline-Quad-City Airport, IL (MLI/KMLI)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The Embraer EMB-145XR, registration N27152, operated by ExpressJet Airlines as United Express flight 5821, departed the left side of runway 10 during the landing roll out at Quad City International Airport, Moline, Illinois. There were 50 passengers and 3 crew members on board with no injuries reported. The airplane sustained minor damage.

Shortly after the nose wheel touched down during the landing, the airplane turned hard left and departed the runway.  Review of the Flight Data Recorder data revealed that the crew attempted to counter the initial left turn using rudder and differential breaking, and that their inputs were not the cause of the left turn.  The nose wheel steering, brakes, spoilers, thrust reversers, and rudder were inspected at the aircraft level with no anomalies found.  In addition, many components from the nose wheel steering system were removed and tested at the component level. Two of these components, the Steering Manifold Assembly and the EHSV, were found to have defects that could potentially affect nose wheel steering operation.

The Steering Manifold Assembly failed flow tests related to bypass valve operation and a piece of plastic was discovered on the C2 filter screen of the bypass valve.  The bypass valve operates when the nose wheel steering is disengaged.  It connects the two steering actuating cylinder hydraulic chambers which allows the nose wheel to free caster.  The observed low flow condition caused by the plastic debris could result in the reduced effectiveness of the bypass function when the nose wheel steering is disengaged. In addition, the plastic debris was in a location where it could have potentially reduced or blocked fluid flow through the C2 hydraulic port during normal nose wheel steering operation.  This could have resulted in the inability or reduced capability of the nose wheel to turn in the commanded direction.  Any blockage caused by this plastic debris would result in reduced performance only and could not have initiated or caused the nose wheel to turn uncommanded.

The EHSV passed the manufacturer's acceptance test; however, disassembly revealed that the C1 orifice filter seal was damaged and the C2 orifice filter seal was missing material. The missing material was not located, but the void that remained on the seal from the missing fragment was larger than the C2 nozzle orifice.  Depending on how the missing material separated from the C2 orifice filter seal, the size of the material was potentially large enough to block the C2 nozzle. A blocked C2 nozzle would allow hydraulic fluid pressure to build within the C2 fluid chamber, causing the control spool to move in a direction that would command a left nose wheel turn.  The undersized condition of the C1 and C2 filter plug outer diameters likely contributed to the premature deterioration of the C1 and C2 orifice filter seals.  The plug diameters were required to be checked when the EHSV was subjected to Service Bulletin (SB) 145-32-0099; however, the out of tolerance condition remained.

Probable Cause: The uncommanded left deflection of the airplane's nose wheel likely due to seal deterioration and subsequent contamination within the Electrohydraulic Servo Valve (EHSV). Contributing to the incident was the undersized condition of the filter plugs within the EHSV which likely caused the C2 orifice filter seal to extrude and deteriorate.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ENG11IA047
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 4 years and 8 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB ENG11IA047

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
02-Jun-2023 17:35 ASN Update Bot Added

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