Embraer ERJ170 200LR incident near San Antonio, Texas, December 4, 2016
On December 4, 2016 at about 8:53 pm local time, a 2016 Embraer ERJ170 200LR, registered N161SY, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 58 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the nose landing gear down lock spring which precluded normal downlock operation of the nose landing gear. The spring failure was due to the presence of too much retained austenite which led to the formation of progressive cracking and subsequent failure of the spring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2016 · about 8:53 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Antonio Intl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 58 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer ERJ170 200LR 200LR, built 2016 · all ERJ170 200LRs on the register
- Registration
- N161SY · registry record · serial 17000569
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Based on the material laboratory examinations, the area around the failure point contained higher than allowable levels of retained austenite. The presence of too much retained austenite subsequently resulted in the formation of intergranular cracking. The intergranular cracking resulted in the formation of progressive cracking, which caused the separation and subsequent failure of the downlock spring. After the failure, the spring became lodged in the nose landing gear yoke, which prevented the nose gear from achieving a down and locked position. Without the NLG being fully down and locked, as the weight of the aircraft during landing was transferred to the nose and main landing gear, the NLG subsequently retracted back into the nose gear wheel.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure other cases naming the landing gear
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,814 hours in all; 189 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 685 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 862 hours in all; 132 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,307.3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 29, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 85,517 lb
- Seats: 80
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF34-8E5 (turbofan); 1,307 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF34-8E5 (turbofan); 1,307 hours total
- Operator: Skywest Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: IAH Houston TX at 5:53 pm
- Destination: MMTY Monterrey
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 04, 8,505 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from KSAT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 4 | |||
| LapC | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 50 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 13, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computed Tomography Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Data Recorder Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Data Recorder Specialist's Factual Report - Attachment 1 | data file | Download |
| 4 | Materials Laboratory - Factual Report | PDF, 30 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N161SY on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Embraer ERJ 170 E170 and E175 761 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Embraer 663 aircraft on the register
- Engine: General Electric CF34-8E5 698 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: General Electric CF34-8E5 698 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- San Antonio International · nearest airport
- George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,235 since 1982 · 1,056 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,945 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ENG17IA005.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.