EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
We were flying a scheduled flight and started to experience a loud clunking noise that seemed to be in the front of the aircraft. Associated with the noise was also a shaking of the aircraft every time we had the noise. We were unsure of what the problem was with no indications from the EICAS. We decided to divert to an airport we were right over the top of. We elected to declare an emergency because we did not know the state of the aircraft or what might have been causing the problem. We landed with no more abnormalities. The threats were that it was completely unexpected. We went from almost no workload up at cruise to a very high workload. Plus using an airport not on our flight plan for a diversion.
The crew of an EMB-145LR in cruise flight experienced a loud external clunking noise of undetermined origin accompanied by a shaking of the aircraft. An emergency was declared and as a precaution they diverted to a nearby airport.