Embraer ERJ-145 incident near Houston, Texas, March 29, 2013
On March 29, 2013, a Embraer ERJ-145, registered N12922, was involved in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Houston, Texas (George Bush Intercontinental/H airport). It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The uncommanded left deflection of the airplane's nose wheel due to a malfunction of the electrohydraulic servo valve (EHSV) within the nose wheel steering manifold assembly. The reason for the malfunction could not be determined; however, a foreign substance was found between the armature and coil of the EHSV that once removed improved the performance of the unit. It is unknown how the foreign substance was introduced to this location.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2013
- Place
- Houston, Texas · George Bush Intercontinental/H · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Embraer ERJ-145
- Registration
- N12922 · no longer on the register · serial 145338
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft experienced several uncommanded swerve events during multiple landings between the dates of 3/19/2013 and 3/29/2013. In each case the crew was able to regain and maintain runway heading. Maintenance troubleshooting led to the removal of the nose wheel steering manifold assembly on 3/29/2013. There were no further reports of uncommanded swerving or pulling to the left after this component was removed. Component level testing found that there were anomalies with the performance of the electrohydraulic servo valve (EHSV) within the nose wheel steering manifold assembly after being cold soaked. A teardown and examination of the EHSV identified the presence of a clear gel-like substance between the armature and the coil. Pressure gain plots showed that hysteresis improved following the removal of the substance from the armature. Since no other anomalies were identified with the EHSV during the examination, and since the removal of the gel-like substance improved the performance of the EHSV during bench testing, it is likely that this substance, when cold soaked, influenced the movement of the armature such that the EHSV commanded a left turn.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear steering system › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not specified
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls Royce AE 3007 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls Royce AE 3007 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Expressjet Airlines INC
The flight
- Destination: IAH Houston TX
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.