Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chicago O'hare Iap Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chicago, Illinois 60666
Friday, March 12, 2010 18:04 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane received minor damage when it sustained a lightning strike while on approach. The flightcrew subsequently encountered elevator control binding, although they were able to land without further incident. Both flightcrew members indicated that the control yoke could be manipulated in the aft direction, but that it would not move forward past about 60-percent deflection. A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the tailcone was damaged. Examination of the damage disclosed that the tailcone's light assembly wiring harness and its respective overbraid shielding were thermally damaged. A bulkhead frame was dislodged from its location due to the thermal damage present on the wiring harness. The dislodged bulkhead came to rest on the elevator's bellcrank, which restricted the flightcrew's ability to control the elevator. Subsequent to the incident, the airplane's manufacturer redesigned the tailcone. The new design incorporates a light assembly secured to the tip of the tailcone by an aluminum retaining strap. In this design four diverters are installed on the exterior tailcone skin which are electrically bonded to the metallic retaining strap of the light assembly and to the metallic bonding plate installed in each side of the fairing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An in-flight encounter with lightning. Contributing to the incident was the damaged and displaced tailcone bulkhead frame that inhibited the full travel of the elevator during approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 3/12/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1804 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Chicago |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60666 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414950N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0874337W |
| Event Location Airport | Chicago O'Hare IAP |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ORD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 672 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1840 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ORD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 672 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.62 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KORD 130040Z 01011KT 7SM -RA BKN010 OVC016 08/07 A |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 45 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27976 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-AAI-100 |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 18 2011 12:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N16561 |
| NTSB Number | CEN10IA157 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EMBRAER |
| Aircraft Model | EMB-145LR |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 145610 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 50044 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 50 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 10 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 15973 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WELLS FARGO BANK NORTHWEST NA TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 299 S MAIN ST # U1228-120 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84111-2263 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | EXPRESSJET AIRLINES INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Houston |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77067 |
| Operator Code | C2XA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | C2XA965W |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GSP |
| Departure City | Greer |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1650 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ORD |
| Destination City | Chicago |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 21 2010 2:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 4 R |
| Runway Length | 8075 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |