EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure
[Received] rudder over boost message on climb. Performed QRH [and] contacted Maintenance. They replied that we needed to contact Maintenance Control on radio. We tried; [but got] no answer. Tried ACARS message to Maintenance and Dispatch [and] had a long delay with no reply from them. Also contacted Operations to have them contact Maintenance Control; to get a reply. QRH said we could continue flight. We would not have been able to depart after landing with this problem. When we got first reply from company; we where asked if system reset. We tried turning Number 2 Hydraulic on and message came back. Dispatch asked if we could continue flight; we replied 'yes' but can not depart. Next reply from company was return to departure airport. We contacted ATC for return and informed them of problem and they asked if we need to declare an emergency. We did since it was a flight control. We returned with a normal landing. Parked at gate and spoke with Maintenance and Fire personnel. Slow reply from company could have been a problem since; we didn't know if we should return or continue. QRH said we could continue. If we returned we needed to stay low and burn fuel. If we continued we needed to climb and save fuel burn for enroute.
EMB145 flight crew experiences a rudder overboost message during climb and QRH procedures are complied with allowing the flight to continue. Maintenance will be required prior to the next departure and the First Officer has difficulty contacting Maintenance and conveying this information to them. Eventually the crew is directed to return to the departure airport.