EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Time Pressure; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure
This is a correction to the early report submitted. 1. All required checks were completed prior to takeoff as per AOM I. 2. At the takeoff the gust lock appeared to be off. 3. I cannot recall if thrust levers were in detent. 4. While climbing out I noticed ac was not climbing normally and took over ac. I then realized the gust lock was in the intermediate position. 5. We declared an emergency and made an uneventful safe landing. We returned to gate and wrote up gust lock. 6. The gust lock was written up because it was the identifiable problem at hand which prevented movement of the Thrust levers.  After several days of replaying the event in my mind. I remembered the release being in a position where it was blocking the gust lock during the thrust setting procedure and I pulled it out. This action could have returned the gust lock to the intermediate position during the takeoff roll.I suggest 1. Keep gust lock area free of anything. 2. Maybe a design changes that prevent the gust lock from blocking the thrust levers. Or something like shear pins in the bar and release lever attachment points.
The before take off checks were completed and a normal take off was made. During the climb out the Captain that the aircraft was not climbing normally. He attempted to advance the thrust levers beyond the thrust set position and they would not advance. The Captain did not feel that aircraft was safe to continue on to filed destination. We continued the climb out; cleaned the aircraft and declared an emergency. Upon our safe landing and return to the gate ms was notified. The aircraft was inspected for gust lock malfunction and thrust lever quadrant damage/FOD. Maintenance returned the aircraft to service after a thorough inspection and a gust lock MEL; we continued safely.
After takeoff an EMB-145 Captain determined the aircraft was not climbing normally and discovered the Gust Lock in an intermediate position blocking the thrust levers; so an emergency was declared and the flight returned to the departure airport.