A embraer 145 on approach at 4000 selected flaps 9 and received 'flaps fail' EICAS message. Selected...

Attributes
ACN	513289
Time
Date	200105
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon tower : zzz.tower tower : lga.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 950
ASRS Report	513289
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : flap fail other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On normal descent into ZZZ we selected flaps 9 (we were in a clean configuration) at approximately 210 KIAS. We received the 'flap fail' EICAS message and flap feedback indicator indicated an amber dash. The backup indicator on the rmu engine page also indicated dashes. We cycled the flap selector handle twice, and though no EICAS message's extinguished, we did receive an additional message 'flap low speed' on the second attempt. We took this as a good sign and asked the flight attendant to verify flap movement. She verified both flaps indicating 9 visually. We then selected flaps 22. The flight attendant one again verified the 22 showing on each flap outside. We also felt the associated rumble that is so familiar with flaps 22. An uneventful landing was made at flaps 22 (not a normal landing flap setting) after all pertinent checklists were completed. This was my fourth flap abnormality in the emb 145, preceded by three complete flap failures. All four incidents have occurred within the last nine months. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this was the fourth flap problem in the embraer in 9 months with three of the failures being complete flap failures. The reporter said in one logbook, of the last fourteen pages, eleven pages had flap write-ups. The reporter stated the problem seems to be caused by the velocity sensors located on the jackscrews which sense flap displacement and rate of movement giving false asymmetric indications. The reporter said another problem seems to be when maintenance works a write up, such as we had, they power down the airplane wait a few mins, repower the airplane and make a bite test of the system. The reporter said if the system bite tests ok it is signed off per the maintenance manual procedures. The reporter stated with all the 'rebooting' of the computers nothing gets fixed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A EMBRAER 145 ON APCH AT 4000 SELECTED FLAPS 9 AND RECEIVED 'FLAPS FAIL' EICAS MSG. SELECTED FLAPS 22, RECEIVED FLAPS 22, BUT WARNINGS REMAINED.

Narrative: ON NORMAL DSCNT INTO ZZZ WE SELECTED FLAPS 9 (WE WERE IN A CLEAN CONFIGURATION) AT APPROX 210 KIAS. WE RECEIVED THE 'FLAP FAIL' EICAS MSG AND FLAP FEEDBACK INDICATOR INDICATED AN AMBER DASH. THE BACKUP INDICATOR ON THE RMU ENG PAGE ALSO INDICATED DASHES. WE CYCLED THE FLAP SELECTOR HANDLE TWICE, AND THOUGH NO EICAS MSG'S EXTINGUISHED, WE DID RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL MSG 'FLAP LOW SPD' ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. WE TOOK THIS AS A GOOD SIGN AND ASKED THE FA TO VERIFY FLAP MOVEMENT. SHE VERIFIED BOTH FLAPS INDICATING 9 VISUALLY. WE THEN SELECTED FLAPS 22. THE FA ONE AGAIN VERIFIED THE 22 SHOWING ON EACH FLAP OUTSIDE. WE ALSO FELT THE ASSOCIATED RUMBLE THAT IS SO FAMILIAR WITH FLAPS 22. AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE AT FLAPS 22 (NOT A NORMAL LNDG FLAP SETTING) AFTER ALL PERTINENT CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED. THIS WAS MY FOURTH FLAP ABNORMALITY IN THE EMB 145, PRECEDED BY THREE COMPLETE FLAP FAILURES. ALL FOUR INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN THE LAST NINE MONTHS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS WAS THE FOURTH FLAP PROB IN THE EMBRAER IN 9 MONTHS WITH THREE OF THE FAILURES BEING COMPLETE FLAP FAILURES. THE RPTR SAID IN ONE LOGBOOK, OF THE LAST FOURTEEN PAGES, ELEVEN PAGES HAD FLAP WRITE-UPS. THE RPTR STATED THE PROB SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY THE VELOCITY SENSORS LOCATED ON THE JACKSCREWS WHICH SENSE FLAP DISPLACEMENT AND RATE OF MOVEMENT GIVING FALSE ASYMMETRIC INDICATIONS. THE RPTR SAID ANOTHER PROB SEEMS TO BE WHEN MAINT WORKS A WRITE UP, SUCH AS WE HAD, THEY POWER DOWN THE AIRPLANE WAIT A FEW MINS, REPOWER THE AIRPLANE AND MAKE A BITE TEST OF THE SYS. THE RPTR SAID IF THE SYS BITE TESTS OK IT IS SIGNED OFF PER THE MAINT MANUAL PROCS. THE RPTR STATED WITH ALL THE 'REBOOTING' OF THE COMPUTERS NOTHING GETS FIXED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A embraer 145 on approach at 4000 selected flaps 9 and received 'flaps fail' EICAS message. Selected flaps 22, received flaps 22, but warnings remained.