Embraer 170 accident near Dulles, Virginia, October 3, 2005
On October 3, 2005 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Embraer 170, registered N650RW, was involved in an accident near Dulles, Virginia (Dulles International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 44 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's excessive maneuver in response to a traffic alert during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2005 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dulles, Virginia · Dulles International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 44 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer 170
- Registration
- N650RW · no longer on the register · serial 17000071
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the airplane approached the destination airport in level flight at 3,000 feet, air traffic control issued a traffic advisory and a turn away from approaching traffic, which was 500 feet below. About the same time, the airplane's traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alerted the crew to the traffic, and issued a resolution advisory (RA) to climb the airplane. The first officer climbed the airplane to 3,500 feet, and then descended the airplane back to 3,000 feet once the RA was complied with. During the climb and subsequent descent maneuver, a cabin attendant sustained a serious injury. Data downloaded from the flight data recorder (FDR) revealed that the flight crew responded with a pitch-up attitude of 14 degrees, with a sustained g-load of 2 g's. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular 120-55b, the recommended initial response was no greater than 7 degrees vertical pitch, with a resultant g-load of approximately 0.35 g's. It further advised, "The [pilot not flying] should advise the [pilot flying] on the progress of achieving the vertical rates commanded by TCAS." The manufacturer's airplane operator's manual stated that compliance with pitch guidance provided on the primary flight display should require no more than a 0.75g to 1.25g maneuver (+-0.25g).
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 173 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,300 hours in all; 453 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 79,344 lb
- Seats: 74
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF34-8E (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF34-8E (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YUL Montreal at 1:43 pm
- Destination: IAD Dulles VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.40 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from IAD, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 3 | ||
| Passengers | 41 |
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.