EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Diverted; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; Staffing
We received a Brake Control Fault message during climb out. The QRH stated the braking capability may be degraded. We contacted Dispatch via ACARS to notify them of our maintenance issue and to see if they wanted us to continue towards our destination which has very modest length runways. We attempted to get additional information from Flight Department/Maintenance regarding the fault and resulting landing performance but did not receive any input. We did receive a message from our Dispatcher that she was OK with us continuing to our short runway destination if we were. Ultimately; we made the decision to divert to another airport because of its longer runways and the fact we were unclear as to the possible degradation to landing/stopping performance.This aircraft had two previous write-ups that I saw in the logbook for the same Brake Control Fault issue; one the previous day. I think it would have been prudent to send this aircraft to somewhere other than our planned destination after the repair to the brake system the previous day. Finally; the volume of ACARS communications became impossible to keep up with while handling the emergency and flying the airplane. Input from the Flight Department would have been helpful after we requested it; essentially we were on our own.
When faced with a Brake Control Fault message enroute to an airport with short runways the flight crew of an ERJ-170 elected to divert to an airport with superior facilities. The decision to divert was made in part due to their inability to communicate effectively with Dispatch and Maintenance to determine the extent of the failure's threat to stopping distance; a subject of great importance given the modest runways at their destination. In the reporter's words '...essentially; we were on [our] own.'