2022 CONVIASA Embraer E190 Bleed System Failure (YV2966)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On December 14, 2022, at 13:30 UTC, an Embraer ERJ 190/100 IGW with registration YV2966 and serial number 19000485 began its takeoff roll from Maiquetía's Simón Bolívar International Airport (SVMI) bound for Cancún, Mexico (MMUN). The aircraft, operated by Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos, S.A. (CONVIASA), carried 87 people: eight cabin crew members, including the pilot-in-command and first officer, and 79 passengers. It departed with 12,800 kg of fuel and an endurance of 4 hours and 55 minutes. ## In-Flight Anomaly and Return During cruise, while transitioning to the Curaçao Flight Information Region at 19,300 feet, the crew observed simultaneous failures in the “BLEED 1” and “BLEED 2” systems. The crew maintained the flight at 19,000 feet and notified the Maiquetía Air Traffic Control of their intention to return. Although the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) did not require a second reading, the crew performed the procedure three times, which successfully corrected the bleed system failures. ## Landing and Maintenance Response The crew requested a descent and vectors to the MARES position to enter a holding pattern and burn fuel to avoid landing overweight. The aircraft returned to its departure airport and landed without further incident at 16:03 UTC. All occupants were unharmed, and the aircraft sustained no damage. Following the event, the maintenance organization OMAC-N 431, located at SVMI, conducted a review. The aircraft's system history provided no further details regarding the failure, returning a “NO CORRELATIONS” message. Consequently, maintenance performed a cleaning of both “Torque Motor Control” units and their filters, as well as the bleed lines, to rule out obstructions or contamination. ## Investigation and Safety Recommendations The investigation, led by the Junta Investigadora de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (JIAAC), included interviews with the pilot-in-command, a review of crew documentation, and the collection of maintenance records. The pilot-in-command, aged 49, held a valid airline transport pilot license and had 5,950 hours as PIC on the E190. The first officer, aged 33, held a commercial pilot license and had 1,200 hours as SIC on the E190. Based on preliminary findings, the JIAAC issued safety recommendations to CONVIASA's Safety Management System (SMS). These included monitoring competency observations for flight crews and ensuring that captains correctly interpret EICAS messages during training to execute the applicable checklists. The incident was reported to the ICAO ADREP system, and notifications were sent to Brazil, the state of design and manufacture, as well as the NTSB and ICAO SAM.