What happened
On October 25, 2021, at 15:56 UTC, an Embraer ERJ 190/195, registration YV2966, operated by CONVIASA, was performing a takeoff roll at Maiquetia International Airport (SVMI) in La Guaira. The flight was scheduled to proceed to Santiago Mariño International Airport (SVMG) in Porlamar.
During the takeoff roll, the crew experienced steering control issues, specifically a sudden loss of directional control that caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the left. In response to this malfunction, the crew decided to abort the takeoff. The aircraft returned to the airport and vacated the runway under its own power, taxiing to gate number 10. There were no injuries among the five crew members and 90 passengers, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
At the time of the event, weather conditions at the departure airport were favorable for IFR operations. The aircraft's airworthiness and registration certificates were valid.
The investigation
The investigation into the aborted takeoff included several technical procedures and reviews:
- Examination of maintenance records, including airworthiness directives, scheduled maintenance compliance, and component logs.
- Review of the Safety Management System (SMS) reports.
- Interviews with the flight crew.
- Conducted engine ground runs to identify the root cause of the aborted takeoff.
The investigation also reviewed the credentials of the pilots, noting that both the commander and the first officer held valid commercial licenses and medical certifications issued by the INAC.
Findings
Technical testing during engine ground runs revealed a failure in the left engine, which failed to produce thrust. Specifically, while the right engine operated normally, the left engine showed an N1 of 17% and an N2 of 54%, with ITT temperatures between 700°C and 728°C, but failed to achieve ignition.