What happened
On August 30, 2021, at 17:33 UTC, an Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW, registration YV2912, was performing its takeoff roll on runway 09/27 at Simón Bolívar International Airport (SVMI) in Maiquetía. The aircraft, operated by Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronauticas y Servicios Aereos, S.A., was scheduled for a flight to Cancún, Mexico, carrying 104 passengers and 7 crew members.
During the takeoff roll, once the aircraft reached 80 knots, the crew received messages indicating an autothrottle failure (AT FAIL) and an Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) failure. Simultaneously, the captain observed a loss of airspeed indications. Following standard operating procedures, the crew decided to abort the takeoff. The aircraft returned to the apron under its own power. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation involved interviews with the flight crew and an extensive review of maintenance records, airworthiness certificates, and operational documentation. Investigators performed troubleshooting according to the aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) and conducted a physical inspection of the avionics systems.
During the technical review, it was noted that Embraer had issued a directive to update the PRIMUS EPIC software (controlling the AFCS and ADSP), but this update had not yet been implemented. While troubleshooting did not reveal permanent discrepancies, investigators identified a transient failure in the AFCS system. To address the issue, maintenance personnel replaced the NIC + PRO module and the Smart Probe 1; however, these components were sourced via cannibalization because the necessary parts were not available in the warehouse.
Findings
- The primary cause of the aborted takeoff was a transient failure within the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), which resulted in the loss of airspeed indications.
- An Air Data Sensor Probe (ADSP) component that had been operational until the incident was found to have reached the end of its useful life.
- The aircraft's maintenance facility had not yet performed a required software update for the PRIMUS EPIC system as directed by the manufacturer.