Embraer EMB-145LR incident near Kansas City, Missouri, May 19, 2005
On May 19, 2005 at about 2:25 pm local time, a Embraer EMB-145LR, registered N814HK, suffered minor damage in an incident near Kansas City, Missouri. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 54 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure during cruise flight of the fan spinner and forward fan retaining ring due to an interference between the mating parts resulting from the inadequate design by the manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2005 · about 2:25 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 54 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-145LR · all EMB-145LRs on the register
- Registration
- N814HK · no longer on the register · serial 145046
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained minor damage as a result of an uncontained failure of the left engine. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left engine's fan spinner was completely missing, and the forward fan blade retainer was missing a 90-degree section of the bolt flange. Several pieces of the fan spinner were recovered within the cowl. The NTSB's examination of the fan blade forward retaining ring revealed features indicative of overstress failure which originated on the forward face adjacent to a linear impression. The length and location of the linear impression corresponded to the corner on one of the bolt lugs on the aft side of the spinner. The linear impression contained evidence of fretting damage. The inside radius between the retaining ring's raised lip, and the flange was within the range specified by the manufacturer. The spinner's bolt lugs had a sharp outside corner where the spinner would interface with the radius on the retaining ring. The forging drawing for this part did not specify a radius; however, a manufacturer's representative indicated that an engineering drawing for the spinner specified that exterior corners have an edge break with a radius between 0.005 and 0.020 inches. The combination of the radius on the retaining ring, and the sharp edge on the aft side of the spinner, resulted in an interference when the parts were assembled. The manufacturer's examination of the retained parts indicated the presence of high cycle fatigue on both the spinner and the fan blade retaining ring. Three dimensional finite element analysis of the fan spinner, and forward fan blade retaining ring predicted a reduced low cycle fatigue life. As a result of this investigation, the manufacturer initiated a one-time, on-wing eddy current inspection of all the one-piece fan spinners to be accomplished within 18 months or 2,000 hours. The manufacturer also initiated a re-design of the fan spinner, and indicated that the one-piece fan spinners will be removed from service by the end of 2010.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,852 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 48,721 lb
- Seats: 53
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce AE3007A1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce AE3007A1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans States Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: STL St Louis MO at 3:00 pm
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from MCI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 51 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N814HK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.