EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 2000
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Diverted; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
As we climbed through 26000 feet we noticed a violent shaking of the flight controls and a sound of increased drag underneath the forward section of the aircraft. We disengaged the autopilot and it seemed as though the shaking increased. We informed ATC that we would like to stop the climb and informed them of our situation. They assigned us 24;000 feet and then 18;000 feet and informed us that the nearest airport was off of our right wing. We told them we want to divert there. At this time; as the work load increased; the Captain took the controls and I took the radios and checklists. As we turned toward the airport we informed the Flight Attendant (FA) of the situation and the actions we were taking were a precautionary measure. ATC vectored us to the final for [the] runway and as we ran checklists coming through 10;000 feet we informed the passengers that we would be making a precautionary landing due to abnormalities in the cockpit. The landing was uneventful but we were roughly 700 lbs overweight with a smooth touchdown <300 feet per min. After parking the Captain informed the passengers to please stay seated as he coordinated with the company on the events that were to follow.
The reporter stated that a Mechanic examined the aircraft and then accompanied the crew on the ferry flight to a Maintenance Station. The flight was limited to 10;000 feet at slower than climb speed but the vibration was not reproduced. The closest sensation the reporter could describe was that a gear door opened and stayed open. But; during landing when the gear come down; he had not felt a vibration that severe. He was not saying the anomaly was a gear door; he was just describing the sensation but as of this date does not have any additional information about the cause.
[Report narrative contained no additional information].
An EMB-145 developed a violent shake with a thumping sound during climb at FL260; so the flight diverted to a nearby airport.