Fortune Brands flies to Cleveland as regulators ground part of its fleet

Fortune Brands, the Deerfield-based parent of Moen and Master Lock, flew its Embraer Legacy 500 (N520FB) from Chicago Executive to Cleveland Hopkins on Tuesday, a 49-minute hop that landed just after noon local time.

The trip arrives the same week regulators in Brazil, the United States and Europe have issued emergency airworthiness directives affecting the Legacy 450/500 and Praetor series, according to ch-aviation. The directives, effective April 20, cite potential failures in the pitch trim actuator that could lead to loss of control. Operators were required to inspect and, where faults were found, ground aircraft until repairs were completed. Flexjet told ch-aviation it had cleared its entire Praetor fleet within 72 hours.

Fortune Brands has been a frequent user of this specific Legacy 500, with recent flights shuttling between Chicago, New York, Boston and Los Angeles. Cleveland — a short hop from headquarters — fits the pattern of quick regional trips, but the timing suggests the company’s flight department is staying close to its maintenance and operations base while the broader Embraer fleet works through compliance checks.