Date: 201212
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Embraer Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
Airspace: Class A ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Aircraft component: Gust Lock
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Aircraft
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: While flying in the cruise phase of flight; First Officer noticed that the Elevator Gust Lock had been installed incorrectly. The previous night maintenance had been performed on the gust lock due to its failure to release. The bar that prohibits the thrust levers to be moved to a high Thrust Lever Angle (TLA) setting was backwards. The notch; that allows the Number One [Engine] Thrust Lever to be increased more than the Number Two [Engine] Thrust Lever; was incorrectly installed so that the number two thrust lever could be increased more than the number one thrust lever. I did not notice this during taxi out; since I taxied out with both engines running and did not need to use a thrust setting that would require the number one thrust lever to be advanced more than the number two thrust lever. Upon arrival; Maintenance was notified and the discrepancy was entered in the aircraft maintenance log. During my preflight duties I was aware that maintenance had been performed on the Gust Lock. I checked to ensure that the maintenance log had been signed-off properly and checked the operation of the gust lock during my Setup Check flows; I locked and unlocked it [gust lock] several times to check its operation. I failed to notice that the Thrust Lever Bar was installed upside down because I was concentrating on whether it would unlock or not. I'll make sure to look at things more closely when maintenance is performed on the aircraft.

Callback: Reporter stated the ERJ they were flying has the newer electro-mechanical type of Elevator/Throttle Gust Lock System instead of the purely mechanical type. Before the Gust Lock on the Control Pedestal can be moved completely forward to allow full throttle movement; an electrical signal has to release a solenoid/actuator in the tail section to unlock the elevators. The Throttle Lever Bar prevents the thrust levers from being moved to the takeoff (full power) position before the elevators are unlocked. Number 1 Engine is usually started first and runs a higher power setting; so the notch is used to allow for that power setting.

Second narrative: There was maintenance on the Gust Lock. It was installed wrong on the airplane by the Mechanic and was not caught by us until we were already in flight.

Second callback: Reporter stated he was told in flight training that the Gust Lock Thrust Lever Bar on the ERJ was for single engine taxi. For take-off and flight; the Thrust Lever Bar is physically moved forward; out of the way; allowing for full throttle and elevator movement.

Synopsis: Two pilots report noticing during the cruise phase on an Embraer ERJ-145 series aircraft;that the Gust Lock Thrust Lever Bar had been installed upside down (backwards). A notch on the bar was incorrectly positioned at the thrust levers; allowing number two thrust lever to be increased more than number one thrust lever.