Narrative:

Climbing out of FL280; I got EICAS message 'rudder system 1-2 inoperative.' I ran the QRH procedure. The reset procedure was accomplished per the QRH. The checklist for rudder system 1-2 inoperative has a complete procedure for resetting the rudder system. After that procedure is a caution message that says not to turn on the rudder system if they have been automatically shut off. The only automatic shutoff I know of is the hard-over protection. And the reduction to one system which is speed related. This occurrence did not seem to be an automatic shutoff; but a system failure en route. I elected to reset the system and continue on to ZZZ where I wrote up the incident in the aircraft log; advised dispatch and maintenance as well as the assistant chief pilot. I filed an incident report citing the required reporting regarding an in-flight control system malfunction or failure per far 121.703.a.12. I filed this report because of the note in the QRH which is vague. I have no indication of an automatic shutoff of the system. If the system are automatically shut off; what indication will I have and what is the purpose of the caution statement in the QRH? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: when the EICAS message 'rudder system 1-2 inoperative' appeared; the rudders; yaw damper and autoplt all failed. The reporter indicated that using the QRH; the rudder system were reset and operations were normal on all system. The captain stated that what was disturbing was a vague caution note in the handbook that stated 'do not turn on the rudder system if they have been automatically shut off.' the crew reportedly knew of only 2 automatic shutoffs -- one a hard-over protection; and the second a reduction of one system which is speed related. Reportedly; the problem is; how do you recognize an automatic shutoff and what is the warning indication? What is the purpose of the caution note? The reporter claims maintenance has not reported to the crew on maintenance action taken or findings regarding this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 IN CLB AT FL280 GOT EICAS MESSAGE 'RUDDER SYS 1-2 INOP.' RESET WAS MADE PER QRH. HANDBOOK HAD NOTE NOT TO RESET RUDDER IF AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF. CREW HAS NO INDICATION OF WHAT IS AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF FL280; I GOT EICAS MESSAGE 'RUDDER SYS 1-2 INOP.' I RAN THE QRH PROC. THE RESET PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED PER THE QRH. THE CHKLIST FOR RUDDER SYS 1-2 INOP HAS A COMPLETE PROC FOR RESETTING THE RUDDER SYS. AFTER THAT PROC IS A CAUTION MESSAGE THAT SAYS NOT TO TURN ON THE RUDDER SYS IF THEY HAVE BEEN AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF. THE ONLY AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF I KNOW OF IS THE HARD-OVER PROTECTION. AND THE REDUCTION TO ONE SYS WHICH IS SPD RELATED. THIS OCCURRENCE DID NOT SEEM TO BE AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF; BUT A SYS FAILURE ENRTE. I ELECTED TO RESET THE SYS AND CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ WHERE I WROTE UP THE INCIDENT IN THE ACFT LOG; ADVISED DISPATCH AND MAINT AS WELL AS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT. I FILED AN INCIDENT RPT CITING THE REQUIRED RPTING REGARDING AN INFLT CTL SYS MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE PER FAR 121.703.A.12. I FILED THIS RPT BECAUSE OF THE NOTE IN THE QRH WHICH IS VAGUE. I HAVE NO INDICATION OF AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF OF THE SYS. IF THE SYS ARE AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF; WHAT INDICATION WILL I HAVE AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CAUTION STATEMENT IN THE QRH? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN THE EICAS MESSAGE 'RUDDER SYS 1-2 INOP' APPEARED; THE RUDDERS; YAW DAMPER AND AUTOPLT ALL FAILED. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT USING THE QRH; THE RUDDER SYS WERE RESET AND OPS WERE NORMAL ON ALL SYS. THE CAPT STATED THAT WHAT WAS DISTURBING WAS A VAGUE CAUTION NOTE IN THE HANDBOOK THAT STATED 'DO NOT TURN ON THE RUDDER SYS IF THEY HAVE BEEN AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF.' THE CREW REPORTEDLY KNEW OF ONLY 2 AUTOMATIC SHUTOFFS -- ONE A HARD-OVER PROTECTION; AND THE SECOND A REDUCTION OF ONE SYS WHICH IS SPD RELATED. REPORTEDLY; THE PROB IS; HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF AND WHAT IS THE WARNING INDICATION? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CAUTION NOTE? THE RPTR CLAIMS MAINT HAS NOT RPTED TO THE CREW ON MAINT ACTION TAKEN OR FINDINGS REGARDING THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.